Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
CHAOTIC life mixed with chilled interludes together inspire American artist Pamela Arent and she is looking forward to watching her contemporary abstract visual art pieces come under the microscope at a major exhibition opening tomorrow in the kingdom.
The mother-of-two’s work will be amongst the delights on show at Art Bahrain Across Borders - ArtBAB 2017 – which will be open to the public until Sunday in Hall 1 of the International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Sanabis.
Pamela, who works from a dedicated art studio on Reef Island, has been focused on her latest challenge for the past two years. “I work from a state of mindfulness in the belief that all life forms are connected and to be respected,” she explained. “I’m greatly affected by energies around me. Colours, sounds, chaos and serenity ... all make their way into my work through the transfer of my energy into the act of mark making.
“My work is heavily influenced by colour theory and my studies in the natural sciences.”
The Minnesota-born 47-year-old took an unusual step into the world of art from a science background although she always enjoyed developing her creative side through painting, sculpture and other mediums … and first found inspiration focusing on images captured and magnified by a lens.
“I completed my undergraduate degree in biology from Carleton College in Minnesota with the intention of applying to medical school,” she explained. “During my studies in college, I found the process of creating art to be a natural and necessary counter balance to the analytical and scientific way of thinking required for the rigorous studies in the sciences.
“In order to squeeze in art studies and get approval I created an independent study where I drew what I saw from looking in microscopes. I drew skulls and bones and objects collected in nature.
“I carried a microscope around with me in my school bag. I remember it was very heavy and cumbersome.
“My favourite classes in college were the science labs. Mixing the chemicals, doing experiments and having to record and draw the lab set-up and the results observed by the human eye and via magnification was so fascinating for me.
“I excelled when I could communicate my ideas and understanding of the world around me visually versus verbally or through writing.”
The pull of the art world eventually won out and after many years of painting through the night while keeping a day job she got accepted into and graduated with a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) from Parsons School of Design, New School, New York City.
“My current body of work has been developed over the past two years. It primarily consists of acrylic paint on canvas and water colour, ink and pencil on paper.
“Part of my process consists of mixing and manipulating colour on paper and canvas in multiple layers that blend, shift and change as they overlap and combine.
“I don’t have a favourite piece as I find relevance in everything I create. My work is all connected and is a constantly evolving body that informs itself. Whether a piece is successful or not from an aesthetic view does not necessarily matter to me. Sometimes the biggest failures lead to a very meaningful breakthrough!”
Art lovers would probably suggest Pamela is being modest. Her work is in much demand and often fetches between $1,000 and $5,000 per piece.
