Amanda Baldwin
Not so still life
“That’s the exciting thing about painting… being able to see things in a different light or imagine what could be.”
At thirteen years old, Amanda Baldwin took her first painting class and made a copy of Frida Kahlo’s Still Life with Parrot and Fruit (1951). “There is something about that painting that has haunted me all these years”, she says. “I just think it’s marvellous”. When you look at Baldwin’s work, this early influence makes a lot of sense. Her still life and landscape paintings show familiar scenes but in a strange and enchanting way. Be it a forest, a sunset or a vase of flowers, the compositions always play with our perception of depth. They trick the eye with painted illusions that bring a sens...
At thirteen years old, Amanda Baldwin took her first painting class and made a copy of Frida Kahlo’s Still Life with Parrot and Fruit (1951). “There is something about that painting that has haunted me all these years”, she says. “I just think it’s marvellous”. When you look at Baldwin’s work, this early influence makes a lot of sense. Her still life and landscape paintings show familiar scenes but in a strange and enchanting way. Be it a forest, a sunset or a vase of flowers, the compositions always play with our perception of depth. They trick the eye with painted illusions that bring a sense of magic. But this magic is not so magical after all – it comes from years of honing the skills and techniques of painting with oil on canvas.
In the studio, Baldwin likes to listen to true crime podcasts while she paints. She finds the start of the process the most exciting. The blank canvas is full of freedom and possibility. But then, some way through, it becomes a challenge to bring everything together. “When I first started painting I would just give up when I reached this stage and start over. As the years go on, I learn to trust myself more and trust the process.” The results are majestic. In a fun and modern way, Baldwin stays faithful to the traditions of still life and landscape – she repackages them to make us reflect on the time and place we are in.
Amanda Baldwin (she/her) was born in Seattle, 1984 and is now based in New York City.
Baldwin’s studio is based in Queens, New York. She enjoys “the ambient sound of other people creating things”, and her dog keeps her company while she works. “Yes, he cannot talk to me, but we have a certain way of communicating that makes me feel less alone.”
“A lot of the inspiration comes from the art I was introduced to as a child. My dad was born and raised in Japan and came to the US to go to college. My parents house is filled with beautiful furniture and artwork that they brought back with them.”
