"Hawaiian" art by Amy Krehore

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Probably, American Amy Crehore would have painted traditional paintings all her life if not for her husband. He is a master of making stringed instruments, so it is not at all surprising that one day, instead of an ordinary canvas, the artist took a ukulele in her hands.

The experiment with scheduling a musical instrument proved to be successful, and Amy decided to create a whole series of similar works. But it turned out that the process of making a guitar takes quite a long time, so the artist began to collect a collection of antique instruments, mostly made in the 1920s. “Suddenly it gave me a lot of pleasure and, at the same time, new knowledge, - says Amy. "These ukuleles reflect the design trends of the Art Deco period, and I am happy to complement them with my own work."

Those who are worried about the further functionality of the guitars are reassured by Amy Krehor: her artistic intervention has absolutely no effect on the sound of the instruments. Quite the opposite: many guitars had to be refurbished before being painted on. On the other hand, it is clear that an antique guitar with author's paintings is more a work of art than an ordinary musical instrument.

For her first exhibition, Dreamgirls and Ukes, Amy Krehor painted 13 ukuleles and 15 ordinary paintings. As conceived by the author, all images and art objects are interconnected by a common plot and are like illustrations for one story. “I drew a fantastic land of girls and music,” says the artist. And Amy also assures that guitars talk to her, and therefore she gives most of them names and allows the instruments themselves to "suggest" ideas for future design.

Amy Crehor grew up in Pennsylvania and New Jersey with a BA from Virginia Commonwealth University. The artist currently lives in Eugene, Oregon.