'The Hum' by Amber Moir
South African artist Amber Moir’s works read as reflections of light and colour that are in states of perpetual motion. Moir’s distinctive visual language blurs the lines between control and spontaneity, art and process – grounded in the experimental practice of watercolour monotype printmaking.
Moir’s journey into printmaking began as an exploration of collaboration – with materials, techniques, and outcomes. Her practice embraces unpredictability while layering complexity and stillness into her work. As the monotype prints evolve, they transform into hand-sewn textiles, artist books, or serve as ‘footprints’ for new drawings and paintings.
The pieces featured in ‘The Hum’ are deeply inspired by sound’s ephemeral nature – its movement, its resonance, its ability to sketch space beyond language. Moir’s innovative process and fluid experimentation continue to shape her evolving artistic journey, leaving traces of motion, sound, and colour as vivid imprints on the canvas of her work.
‘The Hum’ is now available to view at The Blewcoat School.
Blewcoat Image Credits:
Shot by Felix Speller. Styled by Anna Sheridan. With thanks to Dea Domus, Mimi Kerpel, Willer Gallery and Scene by Chloe.
Q&A with Amber Moir
Amber, your work revolves around watercolour monotype printmaking and has evolved into various forms such as books and textile pieces. What initially drew you to this medium, and how has your relationship with it deepened over time?
There’s something that feels circular about making monotypes in that you don’t paint directly onto a canvas.There are many aspects to the process that require consideration, and it feels like a negotiation between material, process and outcome. You have to get a feel for things: for example, how much paint to apply when painting on the plates, how wet the fabric needs to be or how much pressure to apply when printing with the baren.
When all of these come together, then the work can be successful. I think this feeling of working with and against your materials comes up in painting as well, but it was always very clear to me in printmaking.
As I’ve grown in my practice, I’ve found that this idea can also be explored outside of the printing process. I’ve developed a renewed interest in drawing and painting and have started seeing the printed area as a phase or layer in the making of a work.
The title of The Hum suggests a resonance and interplay of sound, space, and movement. How did these concepts shape the specific pieces in this body of work, and how do they resonate with your broader artistic themes?
My works don’t feel resolved until I’ve built up a degree of motion and complexity within the image. I was drawn to sound as something which cannot even give the illusion of being static.
I also liked that a hum is an audible trace of rapid movement or made by a voice which is not articulating words, but is communicating something outside of language. All of the works relate to these ideas in some way. In Lark I and II, for example, I was thinking about the hum of insects and rapid flight patterns which create an alternative contouring of space.
The idea of an audio landscape or of sound sketching a terrain also informed the Plumb and Old Harbour pieces. Thinking about sound in this way adds another dimension to the experience of space and gives more to work with, almost like looking at a scene from multiple perspectives.
For collectors, your pieces may serve as both visual and emotional focal points within a space. How do you think your artworks might interact with personal interiors, whether through sparking observation, evoking calm, or creating connections with nature?
On a formal level, I know that the work is done when it feels sufficiently layered and complex, but is also – somehow - cohesive and still.
My process relies on being able to properly see the work at different stages of its development; on maintaining a fresh eye. This requires a certain severing of connection to previous versions of the work, say the plate before printing or a large work before being torn up into smaller pieces. I think I’d like for the final work to be seen as an outcome of this method of making.
As your practice evolves, are there any specific themes, techniques, or collaborations you’re particularly excited to explore next?
I’m currently trying out some new processes, painting approaches and substrates. I’m excited to see what these studio experiments open up for the works in the coming months.
