asandford_18 (1)This year’s Don Wright Scholarship show at St. Michael’s Printshop is Amery Sandford’s FOMO ISLAND — “a series of prints that explore  master narratives and cultural spectacle within a Newfoundland context.”
The work draws from Amery’s personal experiences and investigates juxtaposed symbols of an island paradise versus the reality of living on an island in the North Atlantic.
In her own words, “FOMO is an internet abbreviation for ‘fear of missing out’ and refers to the anxiety – typically induced by social media – of missing a cool/fun event.  I was also considering the geographical isolation that is a reality in Newfoundland, and that my first summer spent here was comically bad in terms of the weather.”
“The role of technology in the way it alters the feeling of isolation in both geographical and emotional terms is definitely a pertinent theme within this body of work. Intentionally paradoxical, the prints from this series draw on contradictory moments that I’ve experienced between Newfoundland’s rugged physical and historical landscape, and found representations or symbols of a tropical island paradise.”
asandford_19As an example of such a “contradictory moment,” she says “pretty much anytime I go to Dominion or Sobeys I am trying to sneakily take pictures in the produce section. It’s so funny seeing pineapples under a beige patio umbrella and a wreath of balloons in the Quidi Vidi Dominion while it’s puking snow outside.”
“Similar things happen while drinking a Jungle Size Pina Colada at Jungle Jim’s before going to see a show at The Levee.”
FOMO Island’s opening reception is Friday, September 25th, 7:00 pm, at St. Michael’s Printshop (72 Harbour Drive).