In this gallery interview, host Speaker A talks with artist Amy Bumpus about her layered cut‑paper artwork titled "We Are Relative." Amy explains her technique of cutting and arranging tiny paper pieces, often sourced from vintage National Geographic prints from the 1960s‑70s, and how the matte versus glossy printing affects color and texture. She describes the conceptual layers of the piece: the evolutionary link between humans and chimpanzees, humanity’s connection to nature, and the precarious state caused by poor stewardship. The conversation also covers the artwork’s visual aging process—gloss removal and water‑based glue that makes the prints appear older—and the piece’s commercial details, including its $1,600 price at the Tucson Gallery and options for metal, framed canvas, or standard prints available on thetusongallery.com.
Chapters
Hi, Amy Bumpus. Hi. So we're here at the Tucson Gallery today, and I'm super excited because I want to talk to you about your work, which a lot of artists do work that is transparent. Right up front, you can tell what that's about. It's pretty to look at, or what— I guess transparent might be the word.
Straightforward, maybe?
Straightforward. Yeah, that's a good word. One of the things I love about your work is it's not straightforward. There's a lot of levels or layers to it beyond what we look at. And so this one, I've like figured out 3 or 4 connections to the title, which I love. And so I was hoping you could, one, tell us how you make one of these pieces, and then number 2, tell us about this piece in particular, what it means, 'cause I love what this one's about in my mind.
Yeah. It's good you brought up layers because the way I work, I use cut paper, which creates a lot of layers. So there is more underneath the surface, and you see that when you get up close to it.
Right, so let me— sorry to run up, but it's like each— this is one cut piece.
Yes.
That you— okay. And so you're taking all these little cut pieces to create this beautiful face is little cut pieces that you pick out the exact shade and the shape and everything to make that.
Yes.
Yeah, okay.
Yes, yes. Yes, but there's a— from what you see here, there's even more that goes into how you create the piece and how you create the layers. But, and yes, my pieces all have various meanings to them. I do have a point when I am creating something. So We Are Relative is about evolution on one layer. We can prove that we share DNA with chimpanzees, so we know where we come from, which means the next The next layer to me is that we are part of nature and the earth, not separate from it. And I think we have separated ourselves a little bit as human beings.
Yes, right.
That's what part of— well, those are a couple of the layers of we are relative, what it means.
Nice.
And one of the statements is we are precarious. And because we as humans are not being great stewards, so we are creating this precariousness for not just our species, other species as well.
All others, right. Yeah, and there's a connection to everything, to soil and plants and animals and everything that is on this planet that we need to all start having more conversation around the connection and the relative. And then the other cute side of this is he's our direct relative.
Direct, actually. Pretty darn direct, like 90-something percent.
So I like that connection too.
Same DNA, yes.
Yeah, so, and then the, you're using National Geographic.
Oh, National Geographic.
And tell me, the National Geographics are 1960s or older?
Yes. Yeah.
And because we had— not we, I had nothing to do with this— the paint, the colors of the print were changed after the '60s, and it was a different whole color.
They went glossy. So previous to, previous to 19, early 1970s, it was a matte ink. And yes, they produced them in a different way. So, and then they went to glossy, and I don't like the glossy as much.
So, that would change this piece completely.
It would. Yeah, it would. And the colors, the colors got— the colors changed as well. So part of what I do love about the older print printing techniques as well is when I am using them and I'm, you know, using glue and water to adhere, it kind of wipes off a little bit.
Yeah, yeah, it makes it almost— well, there's another cool couple layers here, which is one, you're wiping off some of that and you're making it look even older than it is. But this piece is full of history out of National Geographic, right?
Yes.
So it would be really cool to like read— read the— like you're in there reading.
Yes, I kind of am. I'm tromping through history when I'm cutting up, and I'm just— yeah, because there's some of these are pretty old.
That's so exciting. So this, this, um, we are The Relative is the name of this piece. It's available here, the original's here in the gallery right now. It's $1,600. You can also go to thetusongallery.com and then in thetusongallery.com you can also, is this one in there?
It is.
So this one's in thetusongallery.com. You can also buy this, have it reprinted on metal, framed canvas, and canvas. Canvas, yeah.
And just a print.
And a print. And as we go further, as we grow a little bit older and we get a little further down the way, we'll even have probably more merchandise fun things that we're playing with in the store there. So, but we'd encourage you to come in and see the original piece because it's absolutely amazing.
