Details:
① Artwork:
Placid Still & Maternal
For this painting, the artist created reference photographs that mix found photos with ephemera from her studio. Using a 4-color separation printing process, the artist screen printed her reference photographs onto the canvas, and then applied text made of pumice and acrylic to the surface. The title of this work is a quote by Edward Said. It describes the West's romanticized representation of the Orient as a place that is placid, still and eternal. Asghar changed "eternal" to "maternal," adding a component of motherhood to the dichotomy inherent in Western representation. The artist’s sophisticated work explores her American experience through a multitude of cultural motifs, mixing imagery from across cultures.
Specs:
③ Artist:
Amna Asghar's sophisticated paintings mix imagery from different cultures to create conversations between communities. Her work draws from her experience growing up in the Detroit area, popular culture ephemera from her Pakistani family, as well as currents of contemporary political thought. Asghar’s work looks to the American experience through a multitude of cultural motifs—ranging from Disney movies to the paintings of the Hudson River School.