Amanda Witucki
My name is Amanda Witucki, and I work under the moniker The Paper Committee (much easier to pronounce). I have been making art full-time for the past five years out of my studio in Austin, Texas.
Basically I save everything, every scrap from every chopped piece of paper and I invent new concepts to utilize these scraps. You'll notice in some of my pieces, I'm using smaller and smaller snips of paper: those were all scraps from previous projects.
With this show I'm branching out further on the sustainable path and have incorporated cardboard trash and plastic waste in my work. I will always love and use paper, but I think single-use soft plastics will be present in my future work.
I think color is an untapped language that runs through us all, and I'm inspired to tell stories through color. My installation work is my favorite to create, as I find it can be more transformative than canvas work. I love the whimsy and wonder of immersive art.
My recent dive into plastic trash has been so fun. Since this entire show is created from trash & scraps, I really wanted to explore plastic for an installation concept, and I'm so happy with what I've created for this show. I have always wanted to make a nostalgic puffy quilt, but paper wasn't the right medium for this concept. The soft plastics are PERFECT for this, and I can't wait to make more of these!
For a long time, I've said I wanted to create public art. But paper does not stand up to the elements of outdoor art, so I've put that goal on the backburner for the past five years. My whole purpose of experimenting with plastics is to get me to a place where I can create outdoor art, but I wasn't sure how to translate my style to that medium. Realizing the connection of my desire for sustainability was the "ah ha!" moment that helped me bridge the gap into what MY plastic art would look like. I have a lot of adjusting and developing to do, but I can't wait to see what this looks like in 5 years.
Two things:
1) Always be quick to respond/professional/thorough in your emails/communication with galleries and other businesses who are interested in your art. From the conversations I've had with people, there are so many artists who don't follow these guidelines, and it makes them difficult to work with. Be easy to work with.
2) Know from the beginning that making art is only half of how you spend your time. The other half is all business. Marketing, reaching out to find opportunities, researching calls for art to get new eyes on your work throughout the country, coming up with 1,5, and 10-year goals, and holding yourself accountable to these goals. Additionally, taxes, display concepts for markets, and social media marketing strategies are all things you'll need to think about.
Personally, I love the business side, but I know I got lucky with that. There are lots of resources out there like webinars for how to do your taxes or if you need to get business insurance, so utilize your library and other resources we have in this community. Also know that you don't have to do everything perfect from the get. Just tackle it one thing at a time. I used to be so overwhelmed with taxes, and a fellow artist (who is also an accountant) told me to just try and do one new thing each year to get yourself on track.
This is my final show in Austin before I move to Pittsburgh to start a new chapter. I feel so grateful for the love and support I've had in this community for the past 15 years and I can't wait (I'm also terrified) to try and make this all work in a new city. This exhibition is titled "What a Wild Ride" and is meant to be a farewell to Austin. I have named all the pieces after some of my experiences over my time living here, so this is a very personal body of work. Additionally, I have been slowly adding sustainability practices in my work for the past few years, but this is my first time using actual trash and really leaning into the eco art principles. This exhibition is me showing you what's to come for the Paper Committee: Trash, plastic, and community art.