Amanda Farber

(USA, 1957)

In Here is a wall-hung sculpture that depicts a tornado. It is made out of aluminum flashing that I hammered and painted to suggest a curving, swirling form. In the early 90’s, I was working with aluminum in this way because the material reminded me of the old circular metal Coca Cola signs that used to hang outside of diners and gas stations.

The title In Here refers specifically to the funneling center of a tornado. In Here also represents the proverbial quiet at the center of the storm. I liked the inherent contradiction of a static form that represents something as ephemeral and fast moving as swirling wind and dust.

The center of the storm is a literal place as well as a psychological space. The sculpture In Here references both of those spaces.

—Amanda Farber
2019

Venue: SOMA Gallery, La Jolla
Organizer: SOMA Gallery, La Jolla

Process

Proposal

Related Material

For INSITE97 Amanda Farber developed miniCITY/miniCIUDAD, an ongoing project constructed by children visiting the San Diego Children’s Museum/Museo de los Niños. The miniature city was pieced together from cardboard, scrap materials, and other miscellaneous craft items gathered and donated from various local stores. The open-ended structure of the project allowed children to create their own image of a city based on their personal experiences and imagination. Farber commented that she wanted the piece to focus on the children’s ideas and perceptions, not a reflection of her own opinions and preconceptions. The resulting conglomeration of buildings, parks, and spaces of miniCITY/miniCIUDAD became a representation not only of the children’s individuality and diversity, but also the diversity within the border region of San Diego and Tijuana.

Curators: Jessica Bradley, Olivier Debroise, Ivo Mesquita, and Sally Yard
Venue: Children’s Museum/Museo de los Niños, San Diego

Amanda Farber

Process

Proposal

Related Material

Acknowledgments