[caption id="attachment_657" align="aligncenter" width="486"] Amanda Marburg, Medusa, 2012, Oil on linen, 46 x 61cm, $8,000[/caption] 'Amanda Marburg's intriguing paintings are the unlikely outcome of a lengthy process encompassing photography and sculpture. They begin with a mental picture that is sought out by the artist through illustrated books, newspapers and films until the 'right' image is eventually located. This forms the basis for a sculptural model in plasticine, which is then photographed, and a painting created from the photograph. Marburg undertakes all these steps herself, working across two and three dimensions with varying degrees of precision; she claims she is not a good photographer or model-maker 'but that is not the point'. Her method may be physically laborious and time-consuming, but the advent of internet technology has aided the search for source material. Trawling through Google, as well as thrift stores and second-hand bookshops, she often focuses on macabre or melancholic subject matter as a way to steer clear of benign or 'cute' children?s animation; 'if it?s too happy' Marburg commented, 'it looks like an Aardman film'.?- Rachel Kent An excerpt from Real surreal: The Marvelous World of Amanda Marburg published in ARTAND Australia. To read the full article pick up a copy of the new-look ARTAND Australia spring 2013 issue.