Angela DeCamp is an Indianapolis-based visual artist, who has taken her art from Arkansas, to Ghana, to Australia and back again. Her travels and observations inspire work rooted in both nature and human interaction.
Q1: What is your earliest memory of interacting with nature?
The first thing that comes to mind is how my grandfather had an urban garden. He would have us help him pick everything from black berries to green beans. I still love the smell of soil and vegetables; it always reminds me of him. One summer, we went up to a remote lodge in Michigan along the Au Sable River for a vacation. There was no cell reception, T.V., nor internet. I'm not even sure there was air conditioning. One day, the whole family ventured out into unfamiliar woods to pick wild blueberries and we came back with buckets and buckets of the juiciest berries I've ever tasted. We spent the week eating blueberry pie, blueberry pancakes and blueberry muffins in the woods.
Q2: How does the natural world influence your work as an artist?
Nature is one of the most influential aspects of my work. Being in nature fills a special corner of my heart that help but spill over into my painting. I find that it helps tell the story I'm trying to share in a more subtle way. It’s amazing how capturing nature in art can set the tone for the subject. Even when not painting pure landscapes I often find ways to incorporate plant life and nature into my work however I can help symbolize deeper meaning. For example, some plants may have a special connection to my subject; I will add them into a painting to make it more interesting and also tell a different aspect of the story.
Q3: What role do you think artists have in helping to promote or protect nature and the environment?
I think artists have a unique way of being able to demonstrate how nature and the environment is special by sharing it through a different lens. We all interact with nature in our own pe rsonal way. As artists, we're able to share our unique experience visually with the viewer. We invite them to see what we see, the way we see it. In doing so, it can help people to understand different aspects they may not have seen on their own. Ultimately, it can lead to a much more profound appreciation for nature and the environment.
Q4: What message do you hope people take with them from your piece(s) in the Human/Nature exhibition?
I hope when people see my painting they sense the concept of "connectedness," and whimsy. Often when we think about our relationship to nature we think about isolation and introspection, but nature can be a stage for all kinds of plays. My painting specifically depicts a time when I was making a new friend. We were wandering through the woods simply exploring because it was fun and a new experience for both of us. The nature we were surrounded by fostered the perfect environment for us to become friends. Our environment has the power to influence us to be our most authentic selves, and our truest selves allow us to be open to all kinds of new experiences.
Angela DeCamp's Companion will be showing at the exhibition.
Find out more: angeladecamp.com