Installation Captures The Things Which Spring Most Eternal In All Our Lives.
by Justine O’Brien
There is one word to properly describe Amy Hambrecht’s life at the moment: busy. The 21-year-old senior currently juggles four jobs and a full course load at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, studying studio art with a concentration in painting and a minor in art history. But on top of all of this, there is another big subject on her mind: Hambrecht is getting married this summer.
Hambrecht first met her fiancé, James Jewitt, who goes by Jay, two years ago. After four months of dating, Jewitt set off for Sequoia National Park in California to work at a High Sierra Camp. The camp had limited electricity and utilities (Jay received his food each week from a donkey that hiked 12 miles up a mountain). The two communicated solely through hand written letters for over five months; once a month, they could talk on the phone.
For her final thesis, Hambrecht is documenting the evolution of the couple’s relationship in an art instillation. Exploring the past, present, and future, Hambrecht’s instillation challenges stereotypical definitions of “home.”
When Jewitt finally returned to Amherst, with a notably much longer beard, the two resumed their romance in full form. A year later, on November 11th, 2017, Jewitt proposed to Hambrecht at Amherst College Farm; he had stuck 340 carnations into the frozen earth.
“Everyone asks, but there is no significance to this number. He told me ‘I got a good deal at Stop and Shop,’” Hambrecht said.
Amy is slight of build, has cropped light brown hair, and bright blue eyes that shine out of her face. She has the type of disposition that makes you feel as though you’ve been friends your entire life. The West Hartford, Connecticut native is a fixture at the Craft Center, where she is the leather area coordinator and a member of the media and marketing committee.
Hambrecht even met Jewitt at the Craft Center; he had just returned from his first stint at Sequoia National Park and was developing and printing photos he had taken during his time there. The couple didn’t meet again for nearly four months, but were reunited at Hampshire Dining Commons through mutual friends. Upon meeting again, she was struck by “his icy blue eyes and matching blue Crocs.”
In the coming months, following graduation and their nuptials, the couple is hoping to embark on the next phase of their journey together: finding jobs. Their plans are still up in the air, but Jay is looking at ranger positions in state parks and Amy is looking at more artistic options, such as residencies and art teaching. If neither option pans out, the pair is considering joining the Peace Corps as a couple.
Hambrecht is in the process of writing her thesis, a body of work compiled around the idea of building a life with her fiancé.
“After the wedding, if neither of us have heard back from a job, we intend to embark on an extended honeymoon across the United States,” Hambrecht said. “We intend to start small with just a car and see parks, monuments and live simply as we make our way west, then move up to Canada and then work our way back east — we would love to see Newfoundland and Nova Scotia on our way back.”
Hambrecht is in the process of writing her thesis, a body of work compiled around the idea of building a life with her fiancé. As an art major, Hambrecht is required to complete a BFA thesis show. This requires creation of a cohesive body of work, complete with a 15-page paper conceptually describing the work, and a 45-minute oral presentation defending the intentions of the project.
The idea of “home” as more than mere a single physical place is at the heart of Hambrecht’s work.
“For my thesis, I am focusing on what it means to build a home with someone,” Hambrecht said.
The idea of “home” as more than mere a single physical place is at the heart of Hambrecht’s work.
“I feel driven to create something I am thinking about and passionate about. Jay and I will be moving from place to place — that could be a tent, our car, an apartment, even my parents’ house temporarily. I am defining what “home” means to me as I create this body of work,” Hambrecht said.
For her body of work, Hambrecht is painting, drawing, and embroidering on her great grandmother’s linen pillowcases that she hand tatted as a young woman. The intimacy of the pillowcase reflects the newness of married life, and parallels established notions of domesticity. On the 15 pillowcases, Hambrecht is chronologically pinpointing moments in the couple’s future, beginning with their wedding.
“As the viewer moves from pillowcase to pillowcase there will be a shift from the wedding to the honeymoon to future jobs to apartments to a home to a tent, etc. Each space will be occupied by the both of us, each space will be called home — no matter how long we stay in that space, it will be our home in that particular moment,” Hambrecht said.
The pillowcases were hung in Hamden Art Gallery from Sunday April 29th to Friday May 4th on a clothesline, pinned up as if they’re hanging to dry. Additionally, Hambrecht plans on hand writing portions of the 20 letters that the couple exchanged during Jay’s time at the High Sierra Camp; this will remark on how far the couple has traveled, and serve as a way to reminisce.
Hambrecht and her fiancé share an affinity for nature that has helped shape their strong bond; their first date was a hike through the woods. Their coming ceremony is intended to be an outdoor oriented affair.
“We are looking to be married outdoors in a field near the mountains; with help from my family and his, we are intending to do most, if not all, of the logistics ourselves,” Amy said. “We both dream of buying and renovating a van one day to be able to travel and see the United States.”
Although the couple’s future plans are still up in the air, they’re ready to take the next step, whatever that may be, together. Hambrecht’s instillation is a testament to love and the many places it lives in; in the grand scheme of things, Hambrechet and her fiancé are already home.
Justine O’Brien is a senior at UMass Amherst in journalism and media literacy. In her free time she loves photography, shoes and attempting to keep plants alive.
