Amy Guidry’s landscapes almost look familiar, with blue skies, clouds and distant mountain ranges. But what’s populating them is entirely different. Her hybrid creatures, disconnected (though still alive-seeming) animal parts and eerily calm human faces let the viewer know that something else is going on here. Something much larger.
That’s the point, though. In her “In Our Veins” series, the Lafayette, Louisiana-based artist explores the inter-connectivity of life on this planet, the relationships between humans, animals and the earth. “Concepts such as life and death, survival and exploitation, and the interdependence and destruction of living and nonliving organisms are illustrated throughout,” she explains. The series is extensive, but we’ve compiled some of our favorites. All we can say is “wow.”
The Surrealist art movement, which gave us lots of psychedelic imagery and made Salvador Dali a household name, is a major influence on Guidry’s work. Surrealism is heavily based in exploring the subconscious, and so Guidry, who also studied psychology, found it the perfect framework for her dream-like images.
But “In Our Veins” goes even deeper than that. By combining human, animal and landscape forms, Guidry stresses the importance of being conscious of our environment and the creatures we share it with. Guidry considers herself an “eco-artist” in this respect, and is dedicated to helping the planet in any way. “I’ve always had a love for animals and nature since I was very young and that carried through to my art,” she says. “One of the themes explored with my series, ‘In Our Veins,’ is animal welfare. It’s an important issue for me on a personal level, but I also feel that it is a significant part of the future of our environment. They go hand-in-hand.”
Speaking of the interactions between humans, animals and the earth, she says, “One cannot exist without the other, therefore it is of the utmost importance that we care for each and every living thing. Of course I believe this is important not just for the survival of the planet, but also out of a moral and ethical obligation as well.”
