Amy May Pop Art Brings '70s and '80s Faves to GeekCraft Expo RDU
GeekCraft Expo RDU's first Holiday Market is this Saturday—are you ready to shop the most amazing selection of local nerdy crafts you can find in one place, for just one day?
Amy May Pop Art is one of the fantastic North Carolina exhibitors you'll find at the Durham Armory—perfect pieces of pop culture just waiting to be given as gifts. We chatted with Amy about what drew her to pop art and what she's bringing this year!
GeekCraft Expo: When did you start creating art? Amy May: I have been creating art since I was a kid, but I started creating this type of art about eight years ago for my wedding stationary. A portrait of me and my husband was the very first design. I kept creating pop art portraits as gifts for years. After I had my first baby in 2015, I quit the corporate world and made this my side hustle.
GCE: What drew you to pop art? AM: For what I do, it's pretty simple: it is the aesthetic that pleases me most and it's a way to celebrate the things I love. Bright, vibrant colors on hard black lines outlining a person, city or animal that I love. Perfecto. GCE: How did you develop your technique? AM: My past life was in sales and marketing for tourist destinations in Chicago. I've worked for a couple places with lower budgets and had to design my own promotional stuff using Photoshop, so that is where it started. The rest is just evolution over the past eight years, plus my changing taste in colors and the inspiration I get from fans. GCE: What are your favorite types of pieces to make? AM: My favorite thing to design is my horror film fan art. I am a horror freak since childhood, and that is why amongst all my pop culture art, horror is the heaviest section. I especially love to juxtapose horror and humor, which you can see in a couple of fan art pieces from Scream and Suspiria.
GCE: What makes pop art a great present? AM: One of the best reactions that you could get from your giftee is a big laugh when they open it. You are guaranteed to get that with a lot of my work. It appeals to the thirsty fans of all these subjects and it's just weird enough to make them go "WTF?" GCE: What’s your favorite geek movie, TV show, or video game? AM: Horror films are my #1 jam, especially '70s Italian horror (Giallo) and '80s schlock. Currently, I am excited about Stranger Things, the new Star Wars, and if I am stretching the "geek" world a bit, '70s and '80s exploitation films.
GCE: What are you bringing to GeekCraft Expo RDU this year? AM: I am definitely bringing a Durham fan favorite, my "Attack Cats" in print, canvas art, coasters and magnets. My Durham skyline recently warped into Super Mario World, so that is exciting. I am also bringing a brand new dude, my most requested subject of the year: Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Our thanks to Amy May for participating in our interview—make sure to stop by her space December 16 at GeekCraft Expo RDU's Holiday Market!
