Angela Burks-Painter

What is the theme of your work?

Essentially, it’s about the fear of death.  I started thinking of fear and what causes it, and I  came to the conclusion that it’s fear of one’s mortality, of dying and also how people deal with this fear, by trying to control a chaotic existence. This led me to start becoming interested in patterns-patterns of living, things that we do every day, rituals, that distract us from the terrible reality of mortality and death. That’s when I started working with fabrics. The patterns in these fabrics are symbolic of the patterns we go through in our lives.

So my process is taking a photograph of the segment of the fabric I have and then I set up a still life and take a photograph of that, then I bring the two images together in Photoshop and figure out how they can work together to create a new still life. I paint the new still life on the fabric and sand it down, and then the still life and the fabric become the same thing.

Essentially, in my process of making the work I destroy the pattern, taking it back to a natural state of perpetual decay. However, by sanding it, I am bringing it back to life by making something new. It is this process of making something new from something that has been destroyed that I am investigating.

What inspires you to do your work?

To understand this fear and where it comes from.  Making work is a means of problem-solving; once I’ve figured out one problem I can move on to the next project. When I can’t wrap my head around some concept-like fear- I translate it visually and it helps me understand whatever problem or issue I’m trying to figure out. It’s a self-analysis, an investigation. Paintings of still lifes inspire me. They show still plants, flowers, beautiful in their full bloom, but that is the problem that I am investigating. When something is full bloom then it is on its way to dying. I am interested in the decay of things.

What are your goals for your artwork?

To keep making work. To get it out of my studio and into the world. It’s this process of learning, and sharing what I’ve learned with other people, by the means of exhibiting my artwork. It’s something that I can’t not do.

What are your thoughts on the Nashville Arts Scene?

I think it’s getting better. The work is getting more interesting and more artists are getting involved, but I think the public needs to be more involved as well. Perhaps one way would be for artists to figure out more ways to include the public.