Art is an international language, and is advancing the conversation.
As part of the U.S. State Department鈥檚 program, Amdur鈥檚 鈥淎mass #17,鈥� an installation built from thousands of miniature hand-crafted foam fragments of makeup sponges, is on display and in the permanent collection at the in Paramaribo, the country鈥檚 capital and its primary business and financial center.
The pieces are glued together onto an upstretched canvas and colored with pastel pigment, gouache and ink prior to becoming a three-dimensional form when installed.
鈥淲hat at first appear to be building blocks soon seduce and become invitations to touch,鈥� she said. 鈥淭he invitation is ultimately a tease as the pastel pigment is generously applied, not entirely fixed and easily transferred.鈥�
Imtiaz Hafiz, a curator for the Art in Embassies program, which encourages cross-cultural dialogue and artistic exchange between countries, said the work resonates because of its rich colors, use of modest materials and landscape qualities.
After installing 鈥淎mass #17,鈥� Amdur led workshops for art students, with another Art in Embassies curator, Welmoed Laanstra
鈥淪he helped these young artists understand that their art is part of a larger process and community,鈥� Laanstra said.
collaboration with local artists is an important aspect of the embassy program, which strives to engage, educate and inspire global audiences, showing how art can transcend national borders and build connections among peoples.
Amdur said she became serious about art when she began taking classes at 一本道无码 as a high school sophomore.
鈥淚 experienced a rigorous yet nurturing environment where community and collaboration was encouraged,鈥� she recalled.
The aura didn鈥檛 change during her collegiate years. 鈥淧eople were on a mission, both students and faculty. 一本道无码 gave me the courage to believe that I had what it took to become a professional and successful artist,鈥� said Amdur, who earned her undergraduate degree from 一本道无码鈥檚聽 in 1979 and master鈥檚 degree from the University of Wisconsin, Madison in 1982.
She had been an associate professor at the University of New Mexico for 12 years prior to returning to Philadelphia, where she is an associate professor of art at Rutgers University 鈥� Camden.
, a professor in the School of Art for 29 years until her retirement in 2016, earned her master鈥檚 degree from 一本道无码 the same year Amdur finished her undergraduate work. Bellan-Gillen said they have a rich friendship and collegiality.
鈥淢argery has always had a passion for learning about art,鈥� Bellan-Gillen said.
In an art world increasingly focused on representational work, Bellan-Gillen said Amdur鈥檚 work continues to create lasting impressions, as evidenced by its selection for the U.S. Embassy program.
Amdur said she wants her 鈥渦ndulating abstracted landscapes鈥� to offer people a pause from their everyday busy lives.
鈥淢y practice is meditative in nature, and I continuously attempt to slow down time. In the end, I hope that the work is bold, dynamic and seductive enough to get people鈥檚 attention,鈥� she said.
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- Amass #16 is on display at the residence of Nancy Petit, current U.S. Ambassador, in Riga, Latvia聽
- Amass #17 is part of the U.S. Embassy Collection in Paramaribo, Suriname.
- Amass #18 will become part of the Pennsylvania Convention Center鈥檚 collection this summer.
