originally published: 03/02/2023

(ATLANTIC HIGHLANDS, NJ) -- The Atlantic Highlands Arts Council (AHArts) is currently presenting “no one moved me till the tide,” in their Main Gallery through March 25, 2023. This is a solo exhibit of works by Amanda Thackray.

Thackray states, "My work is primarily foregrounded in traditional and experimental drawing, printmaking, and papermaking processes. Notably, I employ hand papermaking processes to create complex forms referencing ambiguous anthropogenic detritus, oftentimes taking the form of lyrically floating, tangled netting. This work is guided by research into the tenuous relationship between the utility and detritus of human-made artifacts, particularly as they affect the ocean through the phenomenon of ghost nets and the plastisphere.

"When working with handmade paper, I engage with water to create imagery that is directly tied, both materially and conceptually, to that same water. Traces of the material memory remain in the paper object long after the individual fibers of pulp have coalesced and dried. The paper, and the resultant artwork, is deeply layered with remnants of that moment, becoming an artifact of a performatory process. The work brings abandoned human elements out of the anonymous deep ocean, and asks the viewer to confront the spectacle of the overburdened natural environment."

Amanda Thackray is a multidisciplinary ecofeminist artist and educator, based in Newark, NJ, whose practice sits at the intersection of printmaking, papermaking, installation, and environmentally-based social practice. Thackray’s projects have been exhibited at The Newark Museum, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, The Montclair Art Museum, The NARS Foundation, and The Knockdown Center, among numerous other galleries and museums.

The gallery is open from Wednesday through Sunday. For hours and directions, please click here. The mission of the Atlantic Highlands Arts Council is to strengthen community through the arts. They are a 100% volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit organization that believes in the power of the arts to transform and enrich communities. Their primary function is to develop and execute events and arts related activities for the benefit of their communities. Atlantic Highlands Arts Council is located at 54 First Avenue in Atlantic Highlands, New Jersey.