Enticement

Amanda McKenzie

May 11 to August 5, 2021 

Amanda McKenzie’s cleverly fabricated creatures are meant to entice and allure. She fuses images of aquatic creatures with the very bait that is used to attract and capture them. Existing in the murky waters between the natural and the synthetic, her works engage in mimicry. Deceiving and misdirecting the viewer, they confuse the presumed reality of one’s initial perceptions.  

“I scan in images of fish and real tackle to create new amalgamations of what could be perceived as an ordinary fishing lure. I meticulously collage these images and objects together and silkscreen numerous altered colour layers to result in shimmering and iridescent creations of uncanny decoys.” 

Introduced to the world of aquaria and fishing by her late father, McKenzie’s pieces are infused with memory and nostalgia. Through her work, she evokes the habits and techniques of fly-fishing and hobbyist collecting, while also considering questions of ecology and ethics.   

“My manipulation of colour, imagery, material, and paper evoke the vibrancy of aquatic life, and calls for closer inspection to discover the true nature of the image. It is my intention that this process of discovery allows viewers to consider their own connections to the small life that lives amongst us.” 

Image credit: Amanda McKenzie, Siamese Fighting Fly, screen print, 14×15”, 2019.