Amanda Adela Johnson
Fine Arts, Art and Art History
A penny for my thoughts
A penny for my thoughts (lucky or worthless)
I say one thing but you hear another
Speaking on a different plane
Cloudy
Drowning
Thought Bubbles
Organized Chaos
Process
I'm screaming
Can anyone hear me
"Stop interrupting me!"
"but you look fine", i'm fading away
Lost at Sea
Film Slides from my memory
Invasive Thoughts
maybe it's just me (it's all in your head)
Do they believe now
Never ending
About the Project
A penny for my thoughts is part of an ongoing series of miniature copper plate etchings in which a selected number of the pieces have been selected and are more closely examined to focus on personal narrative and mental health. Having endometriosis and having only been diagnosed recently, after years of debilitating pain because nobody believed me, has had an impact on my mental health; and as someone who is ADD, thoughts are something that function differently than in a neurotypical person. Thoughts are scattered, confusing, constantly racing, never ending. The etchings are ways of exploring and processing the chaos that goes on in my head.
About Amanda Adela Johnson
Amanda Adela Johnson is a multimedia artist originally from Texas. Her work revolves around themes of communication, feminism, and health issues including pain and chronic illness, and she draws inspiration from surrealism, pop art, and her own environment. As someone who experiences physical and mental health issues, Amanda will often use her work as a way to open up a conversation about these topics as well as to work through her struggles in a constructive manner. Amanda’s style is a mix of realism and abstraction/minimalism and lately, rather than focusing on imagery, she has been concentrating on process.
Follow Amanda on Instagram @amanda.adela.art
“Amanda Johnson came to Columbia with an established skill set in drawing and painting. She has shown continued growth during her time here as a student in the Department of Art and Art History, exploring a diverse set of approaches and media, but always returning to the body as the primary source of inspiration. She has a dedicated vision which will continue to expand beyond the 2D space of the canvas into physical space.
Beyond that, Amanda has been generous and supportive of her peers and has served as an officer of our student group, making sure everyone feels welcome.”
-Anna Kunz, Associate Professor of Instruction, Art and Art History