BIOGRAPHY
Amber Singleton is a professional artist who specializes in contemporary mark making. She works predominantly with Prismacolor markers, PITT pens, and Copic markers; media selected for control and detail. Her drawings tend to form abstract images resembling electroencephalograph recordings, neurons, cells, and a variety of other physical attributes of the brain. Her drawings are executed through improvisation and there are no preliminary sketches. The placement of each mark on the paper's surface is determined by careful decisions influenced by previous marks and the need to arrange elements in an orderly composition. Understanding the connection between her artistic process and brain activity has been an ongoing investigation for Amber. She believes her artwork is a direct reflection of the inner configurations of the mind. Through the physical act of drawing and making marks, she explores the nature of the brain; the search for order in what is visual. Amber considers her process and exploration of the physiognomy of the brain and is inspired by how that exploration affects the outcome of her art. She is interested in exploring the concept further in larger scale drawings and paintings, as well as sculpture.
Amber has been a visual arts educator for the past 13 years. Amber is currently Director of Fine and Performing Arts at The Weber School in Atlanta where she has been head of the fine arts department over the past seven years. In addition to teaching, Amber also has a broad range of experiences in supporting the arts and culture in Atlanta. She has served on the C4 Atlanta Advisory Committee and has participated in a number of the organization's programs, including the IGNITE Entrepreneurship Program and the Website Bootcamp workshop. Amber has participated in the Atlanta Regional Commission Emerging Arts Leaders Mentor and Leadership Programs. She has partnered with the Atlanta High School Art Exhibit, The Georgia Commission for the Holocaust, and the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta on a variety of projects and events.
ARTIST STATEMENT
Working in Prismacolor markers and pens, I begin an artwork open-ended, not planning how the piece will evolve. The completed artwork tends to resemble actual cells, neurons, and other physical parts of the brain. Whether consciously or subconsciously, the drawing becomes a concrete rendering of the physiognomy of the brain. Discovering unexpected order out of chaos has become an unintended consequence. The abstract artworks I create represent the collaboration of my conscious and subconscious mind mapped out on paper in physical reality. I am interested in becoming more intentional about my artistic process, in exploring how my artwork manifests itself into mental photographs of my brain's activity, and in the possibilities of working on a much larger scale and in three-dimensions.
I was diagnosed with epilepsy when I was 23 years old. Since then, I have been fascinated with the brain and its functions and capabilities, especially in relation to making art. It is my belief that the concept of "flow" has a lot to do with this. Flow, devised by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, is a mental state in which a person is fully immersed in an activity and the success of that activity. The harmony and balance I experience through the hypnotic sense of flow is connected to the physical act of mark-making. Through the creative process, I can heal myself and inspire others.
Preoccupation with perfectionism, orderliness, and mental and interpersonal control is evident in my work. I experience a meditative state when I am focused on repetitive movement. Need for order can cause stress and anxiety in my life; however, the manifestation of this need through my artwork becomes something positive, meaningful, and engaging. I am driven rather than inhibited by my personal psychology. I use art therapeutically and this meditative state is also productive and visual.
EDUCATION
1997
Winthrop University, Master of Arts in Teaching
1993
Furman University, Bachelor of Fine Arts
OTHER EDUCATION AND PROGRAMS
2013
Atlanta Regional Commission Arts Leaders of Metro Atlanta Program
2012
C4 Atlanta, Ignite, an artist entrepreneurship program
2011/2012
Atlanta Regional Commission Emerging Arts Leaders Mentorship program
EXHIBITIONS
2016
Hong Kong Affordable Art Fair, Hong Kong China
Amber Singleton Art featured in new superhero blockbuster film Captain America: Civil War
2015
Vita Ray Productions, Fayetteville, GA
Commissions and sales for major motion picture: Captain America: Civil War
Inman Park Festival, Official Festival Artist