▁Institute ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁Her ▁gradu ation ▁from ▁John ▁Her ron ▁School ▁of ▁Art ▁in ▁ 1 9 6 0 , ▁at ▁age ▁ 4 8 , ▁marked ▁a ▁return ▁to ▁cre ative ▁work . ▁Her ▁super b ▁color ▁sense ▁has ▁always ▁been ▁Am anda ' s ▁tra dem ark . ▁Bright , ▁sens ual , ▁eng aging , ▁full ▁of ▁movement , ▁her ▁work ▁draw s ▁the ▁vie wer ▁into ▁its ▁orbit , ▁forcing ▁questions ▁upon ▁us . ▁Her ▁female ▁subjects , ▁no ▁matter ▁how ▁abstract ▁their ▁port ray al , ▁always ▁seem ▁to ▁be ▁real ▁people ; ▁and ▁we , ▁the ▁vie wer , ▁feel ▁forced ▁to ▁question : ▁who ▁are ▁they , ▁and ▁why ▁do ▁they ▁speak ▁so ▁clearly ▁to ▁us . ▁ ▁The ▁fig ural ▁work ▁of ▁Block , ▁her ▁most ▁accessible , ▁falls ▁between ▁the ▁traditional ▁and ▁the ▁avant - gar de , ▁between ▁simple ▁and ▁subt le , ▁between ▁passion ▁and ▁control . ▁Although ▁she ▁became ▁well ▁known ▁for ▁her ▁large ▁abstract ▁land sc apes ▁in ▁ac ry lic ▁and ▁her ▁decor ative , ▁color ful ▁l ith ograph s ▁from ▁the ▁middle ▁and ▁late ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ; ▁ultimately , ▁it ▁is ▁through ▁the ▁fig ural ▁work ▁that ▁one ▁may ▁truly ▁understand ▁this ▁complex ▁artist . ▁A ▁lo ver ▁of ▁beauty , ▁it ▁is ▁the ▁female ▁form ▁that ▁most ▁stim ulated ▁Block ' s ▁sens ib ilities . ▁Her ▁women ▁are ▁strength ▁itself , ▁often ▁ve ering ▁toward ▁fier