“The best thing about having my studio at Art Hub is the live feedback from an unexpected audience,” she explains, “it’s honest, unmoderated, and raw” in a way that formal art exhibitions don’t always allow for.
Amanda Langer is an artist based in Southern Wisconsin whose works explore and investigate the tensions between themes of conflict and harmony, as evidenced in her intricate and compelling mixed-media sculptures. After earning her Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of Wisconsin Stevens Point in 2017 she has worked in ecological restoration, which she often finds as inspiration for creating as well as exhibiting her art. Amanda and I sat down for a conversation to talk about her experience here at Art Hub as one of our Resident Artists. “The best thing about having my studio at Art Hub is the live feedback from an unexpected audience,” she explains, “it’s honest, unmoderated, and raw” in a way that formal art exhibitions don’t always allow for.
Amanda works primarily in steel and natural fibers, such as cotton, linen and wool, marrying two distinct forms—metalsmithing with knitting and crochet—that are surprising in the ways they both complement and contrast each other. Inspired by textures and the haptic qualities of materials, Amanda admits that materials themselves are often the catalyst driving her creativity. She enjoys “discovering how fiber and metal can be transformed and combined in surprising ways in order to create visual metaphors that reflect journeys of trial and conflict, resolving to find harmony and ultimately create peace.” While she eschews aligning herself with any formal artistic tradition, Amanda’s art can still be described as Abstract Expressionist, using form to emphasize thematic tensions between notions of structure and flexibility, rigidity and fluidity, as well as concepts of masculinity and femininity, which inform her captivating pieces.
Working in her studio at Art Hub, Amanda loves the sense of community and “being around people who are encouraging, as well as people who enjoy and appreciate not just my own art but art in general.” Having a dedicated studio space,” she says, “pushes you to show up and have to do something with your time,” which as many artists know, is a common struggle. “Being a part of building this diverse community of artists, especially in this part of Wisconsin,” she adds, while putting the finishing touches on one of her steel and fiber wall hangings, “it feels magical.”
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