We had the good fortune of connecting with Amy Bouse and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Amy, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
The “Here and There” series started during the pandemic as an old-fashioned means of recording daily conversation and observances. Particularly during the earliest days of the pandemic, humans kept larger physical distances from each other while connecting online, sometimes in a dramatic way. During those days, I spent a great deal of time walking around outside in my neighborhood, observing at a remove. I wanted to record the shifts in my neighborhood and in the people who live here.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am fascinated with mark-making, particularly the ability to recognize another person’s handwriting and human writing left in public arenas. In our increasingly computerized world, there is less opportunity to see how another human forms written communication. For me, handwriting often functions as tone in conversation, a non-verbal cue that indicates non-verbal information. This particular body of work is particularly influenced by architectural structure of Chinese characters.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
On the westside, it is difficult to beat UCLA’s Fowler and Hammer museums. The Hammer regularly offers top notch contemporary art exhibitions and events. The Fowler, located on campus, brings in a wide variety of thoughtfully curated global exhibits.

I wish more tourists visited Watts Towers Art Center, one of the most inventive and personal art destinations in the area.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Hank’s Mini Mart South LA Cafe
The Tree Yoga Coop

Website: amybouse.com

Instagram: amybouse

Linkedin: Amy Bouse

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.