About the artwork
Amy Bernstein
Magnificent Cities, 2018
Dimensions(h x w x d): 18" x 18", 44" x 32"
Oil on canvas
Located in Peter Stott Center, main floor south hallway
These two abstract canvases together comprise the diptych Magnificent Cities. In the artist’s words: "My paintings are intended to slow down the constant feed, to encourage the viewer to reposition themselves in relation to who they are, what they see, where the body exists in time and space. They are images born of countless color notebooks—combinations that pique discomfort or incite strange pleasure to remember for later use. These chromatic finds are combinations that exacerbate the eccentricity or electricity of the pairing, and the result is a designed tension, a random and candid snapshot of an abstract universe. The title of each piece is designed to mimic the visual juxtapositions found within the paintings—more wrenches thrown in the engines of more machines. I love titles that are imperatives or which embody my sense of sonic humor: lyrical non sequiturs that ironically promote new poetry.”
About the artist
Amy Bernstein is an artist and writer living and working in Portland, Oregon. Originally hailing from Atlanta, GA, Bernstein received her BFA from the Rhode Island School of Design. Her work has been exhibited in Portland at Nationale, The Art Gym, Littman Gallery, Car Hole Gallery, Worksound, and Carl & Sloan Contemporary; and internationally at Galleri Thomassen in Gothenburg, Sweden. See more of Bernstein's work on her website.
These works were acquired through Oregon's Percent for Art in Public Places Program, managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.
Banner image: Photo by Evan La Londe.