Art & Activism 011 - @stacysintrld

As a self-proclaimed, artist-adjacent protector of Black Women, Black Love and Black Culture, Amanda enjoys reimagining major moments in Black pop culture to celebrate Black women. Amanda’s mother’s artistic background influenced her own style of working with what’s already there and turning it into something powerful. Magazines continue to play a significant role in influencing Amanda’s work in how she created nostalgic imagery based upon messaging that reflects the now. Her manipulations are very much art, in their own form, as they inspire creative analysis from anyone who comes across her work. Amanda represents the creatives who find beauty in the mess…who transform and redefine it right before our eyes.

Name: Amanda Wicks | @stacysinterlude

Age: 30

Race/Ethnicity/Any Identifications that Define/Describe You: B.L.A.C.K.

Hometown: St. Louis, MO

Occupation: Full-time student, but I have a million side hustles in the academic world lol

What was life like for you growing up? I didn’t have much growing up, but I was still a very happy kid. I’m the youngest of four and the only girl, so I spent most of my time following my brothers around. I often played outside with the neighborhood kids, roaming the streets on our bikes, but horsing around with my youngest brother was my favorite pastime. We made complex obstacle courses in our room, practiced WWF wrestling moves, and conducted fake science experiments. We tapped into our creativity because we didn’t have a whole bunch of toys and games, but I never felt like I lacked anything.

When did you start creating art and why? I’ve never considered myself a full-blown artist. From a very young age, I’ve been interested in all types of hands-on projects like sewing and crafts. My mother used to paint landscapes and she’s also a seamstress, so I think it rubbed off on me. I create when I feel like creating, though, which isn’t very often. It’s hard for me to declare that I’m an artist artist because I don’t specialize in any one thing. I sew, I customize jackets, and I create digital art from time-to-time…that’s it. 

When did you start your Instagram page and why? I started my IG page back in 2012 when Instagram first popped. Initially, it was just for the fun of it, but eventually I started taking what I post on my page more seriously. I realized how impactful of a platform it is, so I started being more mindful of the messages I put out into the world. These days, I try to empower the people who follow me, especially Black women, by telling my truth with hope that it’ll inspire them to do the same. 

Tell me why you describe yourself as "Artist Adjacent". That term actually was a joke that came from my friend, but there’s a lot of truth to it. She called me an “artist adjacent” because I spend so much time in creative circles. I go to art shows, concerts, etc. all the time and I personally know a million artists, but I don’t really contribute to those spaces. I’m always “by” the art (adjacent), but I rarely add my own two cents to the scene, and it stems from what I previously said about not really considering myself an artist. 

Tell me more about being a "Protector of Black Women, Black Love and Black Culture". My entire being is the product of Black women, Black love and Black Culture - so I feel personally responsible for protecting those things at all costs. As a Black woman, I’m acutely aware of the lack of reciprocity we receive for being champions for everybody else. I’m acutely aware of how our daily struggles are often swept under the rug and dismissed. I’m acutely aware of the fact that if we don’t have our own backs, we might not have anything. Beyond that, I understand that Black love is Black wealth. As humans, we thrive on love and deep connections with others - so Black love, specifically, is the epitome of that because of our long history of needing to lean onto one another (literally) for survival. I choose to protect that part of my history and identity because it’s how we’re able to thrive despite the world being against us.

Tell me about the influence of Black magazines and pop culture on your work. I consider myself a Hip-Hop generation feminist, using Hip-Hop sensibilities to create a dialogue between culture and activism. I love love love Black popular culture, especially print culture. Magazines like Right On!, Jet, and Word Up! are celebrations of our creativity as a people. I grew up flipping through all the Black magazines really quickly at the grocery store while we were in the checkout line. I begged my mama to buy the ones with posters so I could plaster them across my walls (I rarely won those battles). Through that medium, I was able to see people who actually look like me being applauded for their style, beauty, and talent. Basically, Black popular culture, including our magazines, is a manifestation of all that we are. Using it in my art allows for a deeper connection since there’s already a familiarity. That familiarity heightens vulnerability and receptiveness to whatever the message may be. 

What topics are important to you as far as what influences your art? Quite simply, I champion everybody who feels unseen, unprotected, and marginalized. I’m influenced by the bravery of those who are unapologetically themselves and are striving to have legitimate freedom. 

What topics or elements do you try to incorporate into your art? (I.e. politics, pop culture, etc.)? If nothing else, I incorporate my personal worldview and identity into my art. I’m actually pretty obsessive with making sure that what I put out into the world is an accurate representation of who I am. I’m extremely nitpicky because I don’t want to be misunderstood. I can have an idea about an image I want to create but if a very minor detail of it doesn’t align with my beliefs, I’ll scrap the whole idea. For example, I may want to reimagine/recreate a specific ad from the ‘70s, but if the ad is promoting Eurocentric beauty standards, no matter how dope the image is, I won’t touch it. The rest of the world may not care, but I do. 

What does your process look like/involve when it comes to creating pieces? My ideas usually stem from other people’s work. I always say that I’m not as good at creating something from scratch as I am with editing something that’s already there. When I feel really inspired, I see the cultural artifact (painting, magazine cover, photograph) and I immediately think of a way it can be reimagined. I tap into whatever is at my fingertips and I get to work. It’s really easy for me to lose interest in pursuing an idea, so if I don’t jump on it that same day, it probably won’t happen. 

What’re your feelings about the recent murders at the hands of the police? I hate to say it, but I’m not wholly surprised by the fact that we still have to deal with these types of heinous acts. What I am surprised by is the amount of attention today’s movement is garnering. I’m completely taken aback by the support that’s been circulating, but I’m not super optimistic about real systemic changes being made any time soon. It’ll require more than a few policies and seminars and there needs to be more people not just willing to publicly support the cause, but to privately support it as well with their everyday practices. 

How have these events inspired your art? Like I said before, I feel most compelled to create in support of the unseen, so the suppression of Breonna Taylor’s story in the midst of this current movement is deeply troubling to me. It’s another thing that’s not new, though. Kimberlé Williams Crenshaw established #SayHerName because the Black women affected by the same police brutality aren’t protected as much. Recently, the hashtag was co-opted to be #SayTheirNames and that’s the epitome of what Crenshaw means—an erasure of the Black woman’s narrative by folding into the collective struggle. I felt inspired to create images on behalf of Black women because I didn’t like what I was seeing…and I still don’t, so I’m going to continue to go hard. 

How do you hope to inspire change? I hope to inspire change through my incessant message of being unapologetically yourself. People (including me) do SO much for the approval of others and I’ve spent years unpacking and undoing that mindset for my own sanity. The more I understand why I do what I do, the more I understand my true desires, which is where true happiness lives. Admitting that something you’ve believed in your whole life isn’t truly who you are is a tough pill to swallow, but it’s so liberating. By sharing my journey with others, I hope that people feel compelled to embark on their own journey towards self-actualization. Truly happy, fulfilled people are much more likely to spread love and help others than those who feel trapped in their own minds. 

Favorite Food: Chicken and waffles

Favorite Genre of Music: R&B

Favorite Artist/Band: This is almost impossible to answer since it really depends on the day. I mostly listen to old R&B, but I’ve been enjoying new artists like Lucky Daye and Giveon lately. 

Favorite Artist (Painter, Collage Maker, etc.): I can’t say I have a favorite, but lately I’ve been completely enamored by artists who photograph Black life. Classic photographers like Marilyn Nance and Gordon Parks always get love from me, but I deeply appreciate the people currently killing the game like Micaiah Carter, Deun Ivory, Joshua Kissi, and Adrian Walker...to name a few. 

Favorite Program (through which you create your art): You can say I have a “make do” mentality when it comes to creating things. I use anything I can find to make my ideas come to life. Because of that, I use whatever is most convenient/effective at the time, which is usually various apps on my phone like Adobe Photoshop Lightroom, Background Eraser, Canva, and Enlight. 

Favorite Colors to use: Yellow is love and light to me. Any time I can weave it into what I’m doing, I do it. 

Favorite Inner/Outer Feature: My adaptability. I pride myself on my ability to pivot and adjust if need be. There isn’t much that can happen that’ll throw me completely off. 

Favorite Item that you incorporate into your daily looks, special looks, going out, around the house: I will throw a graphic tee on with almost ANYTHING. I will dress it up, dress it down, run my errands, and go to a nicer event all in the same tee. I’m all about comfort and I love items that can serve multiple purposes while making a statement. 

Recent Collaboration(s)? My only real collaborations are with my life partner. We constantly bounce ideas off one another and sometimes I have a vision that I can’t fulfill with my own skills, so I throw them over to him (lol)