Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, Isaac Amala and Liz Simpson received their Bachelor of Fine Arts degrees from California College of the Arts [and Crafts] in 2004 and 2005. | Independently, Isaac is a painter; his writing has been featured in Flavorpill, Juxtapoz and Art Lies Magazine. In 2005, he was an artist-in-residence for the Foundation FUTUR in Switzerland. He has exhibited regionally and abroad. | Liz works in various media, and has exhibited her work in Liminal Gallery, EDAW Inc, and elsewhere throughout the Bay Area. She is also a garden designer specializing in California native species.
| As a collaborative team, they have shown their work locally and nationally - most recently in conjunction with Gallery RFD in Georgia, and Janice Charach Gallery in Michigan. Their works are in public and private collections.
Neckties, idiosyncratic in design and personality, are normally viewed independently of one another. As cultural objects, they bring to mind the world of professionalism, formality, conservatism and business. In our current body of work, we examine the necktie as a formal material rather than formal wear. While we don't necessarily aim to strip the ties of their popular psychological weight, we seek to better understand and ultimately reveal their properties. Organized into gradients, the neckties become agents of the painting process. As building blocks, they function much like tapered pixels - bridging micro- and macro-narratives, embracing the tension between the individual and the sum total. We continue to employ numerous configurations while exploring the physical and associative impact carried out by these forms.
Your Participation
Where do we get all those ties? From your generous donations! We've had the honor of working with thousands of used, worn-out, damaged and neglected neckties gathered from communities across the country.
If you're interested in donating your ties for our ongoing projects, please don't hesitate to contact us by email at isaacandliz @ gmail . com.