Amanda Petrozzini

Amanda Petrozzini
Portland, Maine, USA

STATEMENT

I have always been drawn to collage as a form of therapy. I love the quiet that surrounds me when I am cutting, arranging, repositioning, and playing with various colors and paper textures. I love collecting materials for collage almost as much as I love making them. I often find recycled items to add to my collages. I view recycling objects as an important goal of making art in a world that discards so much. Hunting around for brightly colored scraps of paper, vintage storybooks, forgotten photos, and other ephemera is part of the process. I recently began making my own papers using paints, ink, and stamps to incorporate into my work.

When the pandemic hit, I really felt the need to collage in order to stay grounded. I started collaging nearly every day, and it was fun to see all of these bright colors and abstract shapes take over my blank white pages. I was surprised by the colors because when I previously made art, it was often dark and moody. Art has become an outlet for me, and I am grateful for it. I also love the community aspect of collage-making. Other art forms that I focused on felt very solitary. Collage allows for collaborations, swaps, and sharing with an incredible community of other makers.

BIO

Amanda currently lives in Portland, Maine with her family. She enjoys making mixed media collages and experimenting with photography. Her background is in arts administration and art history. She took a few art classes here and there but is mostly self-taught. She grew up in a family of classically trained artists and is in the process of finding her own artistic voice. For a while, she was hesitant to make art. In fact, she spent most of her time promoting artists and never made time for her own creativity. She worked as an art appraisal assistant, gallery manager, photo studio assistant, and art educator, yet still felt intimidated about making her own art.

Before moving to Maine, Amanda worked at a non-profit that focused on self-taught and “outsider art” in Chicago. Through her work there, she learned that art can come from a place of healing without worrying about what others think. Inspired by this, she slowly began to find her own artistic practice.

Amanda is currently working on opening an inclusive gallery and workshop center to hold space for artists who need more visibility. She also enjoys promoting artists and writing about non-traditional art and underrepresented artists at The Uncommon Canvas.

ARTIST CONTACT

[click to email]
www.amandapetrozzini.com

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