Amy Broch is a whimsical gangster….
Whether you’re encountering her work for the first time or already a devoted fan, seeing a JOY Bomb London art work in person is an experience that hits differently! Unapologetically loud, bright, thought provoking and beautifully alive. It makes us feel like you’ve put Hello Kitty, glitter, jelly beans and the essence of 1987 neon spandex into a blender, and her artwork is what pours out. It makes us feel happy every time we walk into J Andrew and see her two pieces on display; ‘Scene of the Joy Crime’ and ‘What a Way to Make a Joy Livin’.
Multidisciplinary artist JOY Bomb London is known for her punchy palettes and electrifying visual energy and has become a fast rising name in contemporary pop art. Drawing inspiration from street culture, character design, and the busy chaos of London. Each piece delivers that instant spark of colour, playfulness, and attitude.
Amy Broch is a character and a half, but like so many artists, her work was shaped by strife and grief. In her case though, that would not be as obvious. Her works are born out of her personal experience of losing her husband to a two-year battle with ALS. It was a way to fight back and find joy in the face of his diagnosis. Through her art, she also seeks to “interrogate the ways in which women are both consumers and consumed by contemporary society”. It’s a “bold, confrontational aesthetic that draws on a range of media, including painting, sculpture, and performance art”. It spoke to us the moment we saw it.
The three pieces that are within our collection were bought specifically for the shop; with their scattered sweets, cereal boxes and Fairy Liquid, it seemed a destined match! We love to mix modern pop art in vintage spaces, and somehow this particular marriage works so well; the black and white checked floor, large old windows and wooden shelves only serve to show off the juxtaposition to the “explosions of bright, sunny, squishy, furry, fluffy, scented delight” of JOY Bomb London.
Go check out Amy’s website here or check out her insta here. You can usually catch her at The Other Art Fair in London, which is the most fabulous show, because the artists are onsite to talk with you about their work. She is guaranteed to make you smile! And the next time you are in Woolsery be sure to take a look for yourself at J Andrew Shop, and find out what the artist knows as JOY Bomb London means when she says it’s “art that doesn’t whisper, it shouts”.
