Originally from Texas, USA, Lori Amor is a Nottingham, UK based interdisciplinary artist whose practice is led by curiosity, exploration and the gathering of knowledge. She gained a BA (Hons) Fine Art from Nottingham Trent University in 2005 and an MSc in Human computer interaction from University of Nottingham in 2018 and uses experience from these to create work with a variety of methods and materials. Her influences fluctuate as she explores but her constant influences are film and television, science and technology and the work of Susan Hiller, David Lynch and Frida Khalo. She was fortunate to have had the opportunity to attend a small workshop with Susan Hiller in 2006 at the Tate Gallery in London where she was able to discuss her work and gain valuable advice.
She has explored the use of 3D software and fabrication methods and experimented with the use of streaming services to present her work. At the beginning of the year she participated in events which challenged her to create work daily which has led directly to a rekindling of her interest in using sketchbooks as art objects in addition to being containers for the exploration of ideas. Currently she is working with a combination of paper and textiles to create playful installations exploring the path travelled through the stages life.
Artist Statement:
In the past my work has involved the use of different types of boxes, electronics and sculpture techniques to create installations. The work has also contained elements of craft and performance which are strongly driven by concept, however, the process of using appropriate materials to bring physical form to those concepts is the most important factor in their creation. My practice has grown to include processes of archaeology, anthropology and forensics through the research I have done about how we learn and gather information about the past as well as saving information for the future. I have focused on the processes involved in these scientific disciplines and have taken parts from each in order to create a method for my own work to follow. Some of my most enjoyable work involved spontaneous trips to the seaside in order to gather information. This resulted from research of historic articles about the seaside proclaiming the sea water and air to have medicinal properties. It was thought that a trip to the seaside would cure many ills. Gathering photographs, sand, soil and water samples as evidence, I used these and methods which mimicked the sea to create a series of painted wooden panels. Whilst looking back to these projects and in response to the pandemic which prevents me from repeating these trips, I explored ways to recreate the feeling of these events whilst being in lockdown. This resulted in the discovery of ways to stream small performances remotely while maintaining a spontaneous and reactive approach to the creation process.