I Do My Own Stunts
Curated by Jack Siebert and Caio Twombly
Stage 4 | 1015 N Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, CA
February 14, 2022 – March 7, 2022
Stage 4 | 1015 N Cahuenga Blvd. Hollywood, CA
February 14, 2022 – March 7, 2022
Amanita presents its first exhibition in LA, a group show curated by Jack Siebert and Caio Twombly featuring paintings by twenty artists: Michelle Blade, Andrea Marie Breiling, Cristina de Miguel, Camilla Engström, Veronica Fernandez, Louise Giovanelli, Elizabeth Glaessner, Jenna Gribbon, Angela Heisch, Mickey Lee, Tidawhitney Lek, Tahnee Lonsdale, Karyn Lyons, Kylie Manning, Jo Messer, Sarah Miska, Alejandra Moros, Ruby Neri, Alake Shilling and Amanda Wall.
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Stunts are high risk acts that demand preparation and practice. Stunt performances disguise the arduous preparation behind a seamless film shot; cooperatively, the act of painting involves technical dexterity to achieve visual/conceptual finesse. There is one stark difference between stuntpeople and artists: the latter have an opportunity to express their identity. Within each gesture the artist imbues a repertoire of skill and personal rationale.
I do my own stunts aims to reveal the painstaking feats behind spectacular paintings. Films are experienced by viewers as a finished product. Similarly with little or no knowledge of the countless takes, edits and behind-the-scenes efforts involved in its creation, a painting presents itself to its audience as complete (in the context of an exhibition, unless otherwise specified...). As viewers of paintings, it is easy to derogate our consideration of the art’s production.
Dangerous, high-action film shots are typically reserved for male characters. In recent years however, female actors have begun to disrupt this in an industry-wide shift that is slowly starting to subvert traditional gender roles. Despite the shift, many films and TV shows (largely in the superhero genre) continue to hypersexualize their female protagonists and present their characters in a way that does more to satiate the male gaze than to empower their female viewers.
The title of this exhibition serves as a mantra for female artists - their agency is affirmed by choosing to command each step of their artistic process, by doing their own stunts. The exhibition seeks to celebrate a diversity of approaches, united by painting to form an open dialogue between powerful voices.