Amy Dynan: Artist Statement & Bio

Amy Dynan’s art practice uses the framework of beauty to explore the relationship between humanity and nature. Merging photorealism with abstract sensibilities, Amy’s monochromatic artworks document moments of sublimity, movement and fragility in nature. An award-winning artist, Amy is known for her dynamic approach to drawing and her nuanced balance of conceptual rigour and classical skill. Using techniques, which range from traditional chiaroscuro to gestural marks, her work reveals elements of both figuration and abstraction – not as oppositions but as devices to bring about maximum expressivity. 

 

“For me, drawing is a lens through which the spectrum of our existence is revealed, and a means to marvel at how lucky we are to feel it fully. To this end my work documents nature in flux and celebrates the beauty of what we stand to lose.”  

Dynan, an award-winning early-career artist, has been recognised for her nuanced balance between conceptual rigour and classical drawing skills. Following a “tree-change” to Wagga Wagga in 2012, Dynan pursued her love of drawing and held her first exhibition, an experience which gave her the push to take things further.

Upon returning to Sydney, Dynan pursued a Master of Contemporary Art and Master of Fine Arts at Sydney College of the Arts to develop the conceptual undercurrent of her practice.

“As a visual artist, research can offer a deeper, more profound connection to the significance of one’s own art practice in a field beyond the studio. I knew that my passion for drawing, combined with rigorous institutional and art world scrutiny and support would provide the necessary framework to further my aesthetic.”

Amy Dynan sees drawing as a fundamental means of expression that is often overlooked as a preparatory stage in lieu of master artworks and is driven to continue to contribute to contemporary drawing in Australia. “For me, it is the most intuitive stage of the creative process and I want to continue to bring awareness to drawing as the veritable art form that it is.”

Most recently Dynan held her sold out solo exhibition, Water, at Stanley Street Gallery (July 2019), exhibited at Sydney Contemporary Art Fair and was selected as finalist in the Dobell Drawing Prize, an acquisitive award and major exhibition that explores the enduring importance of drawing within contemporary art practice. Currently Dynan is currently working on new projects incorporating soft pastels and oils, and in 2020 will be Artist in Residence in a number of AIR programs including Hill End, Mornington Peninsula Regional and Gunyah.

Amy Dynan: CV February, 2021