Rhododendron

Rhododendron continues my Art Nouveau series, inspired by both the trees in my garden and the work of artists such as Alphonse Mucha. In these paintings, I replace the female figure typical of Mucha’s compositions with botanical specimens. The plant becomes central, monumental and framed by decorative line and typography.

Rhododendrons are an ancient genus, with evolutionary origins stretching back millions of years. Many species developed in mountainous regions such as the Himalayas, adapting to cold, altitude, acidic soils and shifting light. Their thick evergreen leaves and dense clustered blooms are not delicate gestures, but structures shaped by endurance.

The text embedded in the upper section reads:
“you’ve travelled so far in a million years and endured such hardships to find yourself in this place where you thrive.”

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Amanda Krantz is an Australian artist whose work has been informed by residencies in Japan, Thailand and Tasmania. Her practice is an exploration of materials, science and nature, and image making. She completed her Bachelor of Visual Arts at Queensland University of Technology in 2001, and has since continued study at the University of Melbourne solely to inform her arts practice. Her most recent projects include a large scale public commission for The Ritz Carlton in Puerto Rico, artwork for the Presidential Suite of Renaissance Plano in Texas, and she was also commissioned to create 10 large paintings for The Ovation of the Sea, a new Royal Carribean liner that has been dubbed the contemporary art gallery of the high seas. She was also recently one of thirty painters worldwide to take part in ‘Premio Combat’ in Livorno Italy, was a Saatchi Online‘Back to Nature’ finalist, and a finalist in the prestigious Clifton’s Art Prize. Krantz’s most recent solo show ‘Plasmo’, held in 2015 at the GallerySmith in Melbourne, was an exploration of alien yet eerily familiar forms and landscapes. Other solo shows include ‘Hypnagogia’ at the Angela Robarts-Bird Gallery in Melbourne, Graydon Gallery and Percolator Gallery in Brisbane, and she has been involved in group exhibitions worldwide including Time Square in New York city, and in the Museo Di Storia Naturale in Italy. Current Artist Statement: I think of my work as organic-psychedelia. They are familiar representations of ecology, but not quite of this world. My process is underpinned by a playful exploration of materials, and questions the role of painter in painting creation. The method of paint delivery to canvas, in random pours, throws and squirts, employs nature to mimic nature. The natural fluidity and reactivity of paint mixtures, is itself alive in it’s own ability to move and mix, playfully creating chaotic patterns and diacritic effects. I often act merely as a facilitator, allowing the paint itself to capture the essence of time and place. It’s a scientific process, executed organically, creating science fictional landscapes and quasi-alien life