I have been exploring the concept of women’s work in my art. Imagery sourced from lace and craft doilies emerge from my paper abstractions, giving homage to the history of women’s work and raising the question of what is valued in our culture. Patriarchal systems have inhibited female artists from being recognized for their work throughout history. “Craft” is often illegitimately considered low-brow when compared to “fine art,” and I aim to conflate these notions by bringing the patterns of craft into prints.
In addition to merging the ideas of “craft” and “fine art,” my work pushes the boundaries of what has been historically defined as a print. Post-digital printmaking processes such as laser cutters and CNC routers have entered my practice and have allowed me to expand on ways of thinking about the print. The balance of the delicate and the mechanical adds an additional element to the concept of gender roles referenced in the handwork. Exploring extreme scale (both life-size and miniature) has become an important way for me to broaden the range of possibilities with printmaking.
~Amy Sands 2020
Amy Sands has exhibited her work in solo and group shows both nationally and internationally, including: Prints Tokyo 2012, Tokyo Metropolitan Art Museum; the National Taiwan Museum of Art; International Printmaking Biennial of Douro, Portugal; the 2003 Madrid International Print Fair, Madrid, Spain (Estampa) and the 2016 Delta National Small Prints exhibition at the Bradbury Museum in Jonesboro, Arkansas. She has received numerous national and international awards for her work and belongs in the permanent collections of the National Taiwan Museum of Art, New York Public Library, Montefiore Hospital, the Rourke Museum and Gallery, Pratt Institute, Manhattan Graphics Center, Metropolitan State University, Buena Vista University, Central Lakes College as well as many private parties. Sands is Assistant Professor of Studio Arts at Metropolitan State University.
