While enrolled at Center Program in Chicago, Williams felt unsatisfied with paint on canvas, and was challenged by visiting critic Tricia van Eck to enlarge the scale of her work[1] to match her architecture.
The artist chose eight colors she felt best represented black consumer culture specific to the South Side of Chicago, including Harold's Chicken Shack red, Newport 100's teal, Crown Royal Bag purple, Flamin’ Hot Cheetos orange, Ultrasheen conditioner blue, Pink Oil moisturizer, Currency Exchange yellow, and Safe Passage yellow.
[14] The bright colors converted the desolate, abandoned homes into sculptural objects, drawing attention to the issue of underinvestment in black communities and the corresponding decline of those neighborhoods.
Through the process of de-familiarization, Williams begins to question the connotations that fences hold and their dual function as both containers and barriers, particularly, in relation to gender and race.
[17] Williams’ gold brick installations that were featured in the show examined the evolution of urban landscape and questioned the legitimacy of how we assess the value of architecture in declining neighborhoods.
[18] With the help of family members and friends, William's painstakingly painted imitation gold-leaf onto locally sourced bricks from the demolished remains of the Color(ed) Theory houses.
[18] The gold bricks were an extension of her project Color(ed) Theory, and highlight how demolition and renewal can shape the lives of urban populations, raising difficult questions about social and political undertones in Chicago.
[19] Amanda Williams, with Olalekan Jeyifous, was awarded the commission for the public monument that will honor Shirley Chisholm, slated for Prospect Park, Brooklyn on April 24, 2019.