An Interview With Amanda Houchen

Amanda Houchen’s work looks at the relationship between illusionism and abstraction. Amanda plays with the spatial properties of the painting through formal decisions of division, colour and light. She is interested in achieving optical illusion through the placement of flat geometric architectural shapes, fused with more organic forms and structures: underwater plants, internal cell like structures, costume, fabrics, decorative patterns, the tropical and exotic.

Her paintings tap into a sense of otherness; worlds within worlds, mirroring and yet upsetting what is outside. Houchen is keen to create spaces that cannot easily be contextualised, exploring settings that convey artifice; they are mysterious, disorientating, and kaleidoscopic. Through a use of vivid colour, rhythm and depth, she confronts the viewer with an ambiguous sense of place.

Can you tell us a little bit about you?

I’m an artist based in London. I graduated from City and Guilds School for Art, and more recently did the onsite course at Turps Art School, which completely transformed my practice away from the figurative towards more abstract work. My work looks at the relationship between illusionism and abstraction. I play with the spatial properties of the painting through formal decisions of division, colour and light.

What is your artistic process and how has it evolved since you began painting?

I originally started out doing figurative painting working from my own photographs. Then, when I went to City and Guilds I began to work less from my own experience and photographs, and started to look at photos of actresses from the 40s and 50s. I would then recreate an environment for them, so that the figure felt out of context and not of a recognisable time or place. It was this sensation of a theatrical, disorientating inner environment that I was then keen to recreate with each new painting, moving away from narrative and representational painting. My work now is a lot to do with process and how I apply paint. I work using a lot of layers, playing with transparency and the effect that creates, with the shifting of tone and colour, creating a sense of rhythm and depth, harmony and disruption.

Where does your interest in optical illusion stem from?

I'm interested in exploring perception of space and colour, but not from a literal perspective, rather from an interior imaginative space and an inner world. This naturally evolved into playing with the possibilities of space and questioning what's real and what's imaginary, and so the interest in optical illusion. I explore a sense of otherness; worlds within worlds, mirroring and yet upsetting what is outside.

What role does space play in your work?

Creating an imaginary space is crucial to my work and my process of working plays into it. I build a series of layers, or screens, each one in dialogue with the next, concealing and then revealing what's underneath. The process is playful and exploratory, and there is a sense of depth contrasting with the flat surface quality.

What does 'Abstraction' mean to you?

Abstraction to me means not having a narrative, or a story within the work. Being more interested in the paint itself, shape and line, and how these elements can combine to suggest a sensation or mood, rather than explain a situation. To me it means being free, in the sense that you are not tied to the language of representation.

Your earliest memory of art?

We grew up with a lot of paintings around the house from my father’s family. I spent a lot of time day dreaming and looking at the paintings, they captured my imagination so much and I wanted to try and recreate that sense of atmosphere that you can capture with paint.

Who or what is your biggest artistic inspiration?

There’s a lot of artists who I’m inspired by, so hard to narrow it down. I would say both Gillian Ayres and Howard Hodgkin, for their use of colour and originality.

Are there any particular artists that you are currently enjoying?

Beatriz Milhazes, I’d always been told to look at her work, but only had the chance at her show at Turner Contemporary last year. Her paintings were so impressive in the flesh and you could see the complex process behind her work. I also like Erin O’ Keefe’s work, for the way she sets up and plays with a particular fictional space.

What is your favourite book or film and why?

I enjoy dystopian books that explore possible futures. I’d say my favourite book is by Aldous Huxley ,Brave New World, that explores a futuristic world state. It was written in 1931, but I think this book is timeless, each time you read it it’s still captivating and bizarre and relevant.

Are you working on any projects you are particularly excited about?

I did the PADA residency in Portugal earlier this year, which introduced some new ideas to my work, and I’m continuing to explore this.

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