MFA candidate creates dialogue in prints, photos

Master of Fine Arts candidate Amanda Lee said she could care less about making perfect art. She cares much more about the dialogue her work creates.

Lee has been selected to showcase her newest art in the Fuller Projects venue, and her exhibit will feature printmaking and photography known as “A Solution of Silver of White Light.”

“There was a long time in my life that I couldn’t really connect with people or feel the joy and gratitude that are the wonders of life,” Lee said. “Slowly, over time, that has been revealed to me again. This work is a celebration of that.”

Lee’s work involves the use of two separate still video images. One uses her grandmother placing a star on her nose while the other involves a friend wearing a disco hat.

“I’m trying to capture these really satisfying and joyful moments of human connection and create a connection between those people,” Lee said.

As a graduate student, a teacher and a volunteer at Middle Way House and People and Learning Services, Lee admitted finding time to put together an exhibit wasn’t easy. She said it took the support of friends and faculty members.

“Life is very full for me, but there are those moments when we have that extra challenge of pushing ourselves beyond what we are normally capable of,” Lee said. ”I think those are some of the most rewarding times in life.”

Lee noted Professor of Art and Head of Printmaking Ed Bernstein as someone who has supported her art while she attended IU.

“He is open to letting us be producing artists,” she said. ”He has encouraged me to really start putting my work out there.”

Bernstein spoke highly of Lee’s potential and work ethic as an artist. He has worked with her since she joined IU’s MFA Printmaking program in 2009.

“Amanda has used her knowledge of printmaking to make works based on her personal experiences related to place, family and memory,” he said. “She is a very articulate and passionate artist.”

As an MFA candidate, Lee faces the challenges all students must soon face: finding a career and pursuing her own happiness.

She expressed a passion for using art to pave her future.

“We don’t get the opportunity to create many things anymore,” Lee said. “We think about them, we study them, but creating things is as vital as contemplating them.”

Lee’s exhibit will be from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Friday at the Fuller Projects. The event, like all that are at the McCalla School, is free and open to the public.

“I encourage conversation among students about art,” Lee said. “If they like my work, or if they think it’s crap, it should just bring people together.”