Artist Statement:

For the past seven years, not unlike most other artists, I have worked to develop my own visual language. I find in my work that as I'm creating the language, it is made up of associations and perceptions I have developed in my own life experience. My full intention is to proceed down this path of symbolic imagery to become more articulate and diversify this visual language.
I find myself questioning the nature of language in general. The core of my perception of the word exists in its function as a method of communication. However, much like the English language, I find it very intriguing that visual language is equally subjective. Just as changing the emphasis on a word in a sentence changes its meaning, so can changing the placement of an object or choice of color alter the “meaning” of a work of art. Having already incorporated certain types of imagery, mainly being figures, patterns, flying things and keys, I strive to include only those elements that influence the “meaning” of a piece. Nothing is benign, everything is intentional.
While nothing is benign to me, I am fully aware of the fact that others may not see the work the same way. I do not fight this fact, but embrace it. Though the language I create is my own, I have no delusions that all others will have a similar perception of the work's meaning. Cultural and historical backgrounds will influence everyone in a different way. In this, the language I create becomes their own, as they strive to interpret the “meaning” of the visual puzzle in front of them.
That is the beauty of using symbolic imagery in a work. I can use familiar objects to draw the viewer in, such as figures or keys, because they are known to the viewer, though even they have complex interpretational qualities. They are like the nouns and verbs of a sentence. They anchor the perception to a degree, but then I tend to use more site specific or historically significant symbols that exist in the forefront of my world. Once a work is complete, it is my pleasure to hear others' versions of the work “means.” Often I am asked, “Ashleigh, what do the keys mean? Why did you choose this pattern instead of a flat background?” I still rarely reveal the “true meaning” of a piece, because it spoils the viewer's initial and independent reaction.
Common symbols that exist in my work include female figures, patterns, birds/flying things, and keys/keyholes. I use them for many reasons, but first and foremost because they are easily recognizable and easily manipulated. Most people are drawn to a work that contains a human image because it is familiar. However, I use the figure's more behavioral characteristics in a direct way as well. Body language, skin tone, and facial expression are all important ways to express a “phrase” in the language.
Patterns are rich in metaphoric value. To me they have come to represent a cyclical way of thinking and living. Life cycles, behavioral cycles, menstrual cycles and cycles in the state of mind are a few. Patterned work creates a constant motion of the body, and can put you in a trance-like state. It is also obsessive compulsive, and a variance in the pattern can have significant effect on the work. Visual patterns by definition are uniform and tight, so the relaxing of a pattern, or a variance thereof could suggest a break in the cycle. Patterns remind me of the roles women have played in society for many years. Unable to express themselves verbally or by casting a vote, many women expressed themselves through fashion. In my own family a past time of women was quilting, where not only the design but the labor was repetitive and abrasive. The pattern of behaviors was passed down through generations. In my particular case, women were married by eighteen and had chil!
dren within the year. I was the first to break the cycle, having waited until twenty-one to marry and having no children to speak of. I previously lost a child and recently lost a grandparent, but am gaining two new nephews and a cousin. The life cycle is ever prevalent in my world.
Another type of imagery that I use often consists of birds and flying creatures. This has a multi-layered meaning for me as well. Initially they appeal to me as a symbol of freedom and represent the ability to fly and soar over the land and sailing through the clouds. However, free though they may be, they are compelled by cycles. Many species of wild birds migrate every year with the seasons. One broken in a wing will ground a bird, testament to the fact that they are so very fragile. While wild birds seem free and can migrate, there is also the case of the domesticated, caged bird. Beautiful, singing ornaments, locked in a cage for someone to look at. It is not uncommon for a woman such as me to feel this way in an unhappy marriage. Birds also have various meaning in different cultures. Some, like the raven and vulture, commonly signify death while others like the dove and eagle, represent peace and freedom.
Keys and keyholes are so multi-layered, one could get trapped in a vicious circle of “meaning.” Keys are a way into something, a gateway to something you desire. Yet they can also represent a way out. They protect what you have locked away, giving you control of who can get to it. They represent a sort of mystery and intrigue, because people question the value of something that is locked away. Keyholes are similar in that they are the gateway, but they also offer a tiny view into the place that you are seeking, like the person looking through the keyhole into the room beyond. Keyholes represent the lock more than the opening of the lock. They are the obstacle between what is and what could be.
Many factors have contributed to my decisions to use these elements in my work. First and foremost was learning about Jan Van Eyck's painting The Arnolfini Marriage. I loved the way that everything was supposedly painted in a specific way to express a specific meaning. To this day there is debate about the significance of the elements within the painting, and that is what has made it famous among art history books for college curriculums worldwide. Aside from Van Eyck's painting, I found myself drawn to the surrealist symbolism in Frida Kahlo's work. The “other-worldly” appeal of her paintings and the seemingly raw emotion expressed therein inspired me to use these elements in my work as well. I had the pleasure of taking a class on Outsider Art in the spring of 2008, and felt attracted to the work immediately. Having been raised in Kentucky, I grew up around a rich heritage of folk art, yet wasn't able to fully appreciate it until I had moved away. In p!
articular, I became very enamored by the work of Adolf Wolfli. His obsessive compulsive attention to details and the patterns within his artwork and the music he composed left me admiring the attention to detail and the dedication involved in making such a piece. Wolfli also used certain types of symbols in his work over and over again, and his work's language is also under debate. While I was struck by these “untrained” pieces, I am also aware that it is near impossible to “untrain” yourself after having been through a bachelor's degree program. So rather than lament the fact that I will not be able to untrain myself, I decided to use the characteristics I appreciated most, such as more flat/less voluminous areas and rougher textures, in my future works.
In my future course of study, I plan to pursue many new facets in my visual language. Figures included in new works will include both genders, multiple races and ages and will diversify the work's content. Experimenting with various techniques including collage, textures, printmaking and drawing media, will enrich the body of work and diversify the language in the physical sense. Continuing to add new symbols and refraining from the over-usage of current symbols or obvious combinations thereof will diversify the work's visual language and open up new interpretations.
Upon completion of my Master's degree, I plan to continue painting and to pursue a career in teaching. A large part of the reason I love to paint stems from the education I received in elementary school and high school. Art was always my favorite in elementary school. It was fun, it was dirty, and they let me be free to use my imagination. The teacher of the class was a lover of art and a facilitator for outbursts of creativity. Later on in high school I began to understand how it could be to focus on and study the arts. Having access to more mediums and more time to focus on individual works, along with the instructor's caring and supportive attitude really pushed me to continue on in the arts when I reached university level. It was there that I was pushed to try new things and develop the meaning back up the imagery I was creating. As I progressed to the advanced level in my studies, I often functioned among the class like a teacher's aid, and enjoyed working with!
beginning level students to help them understand the medium and its applications. I want to foster a love of art in others. It is much easier and more effective to learn from someone and appreciate the subject they are presenting if they themselves love what they do. In completing this goal, I will be readying myself for a lifetime of mentoring other artists and inspiring them to continue on in the arts.

Exhibitions/Awards:

Solo/Dual Exhibitions

2008 The Enduring Oracle
Hotel Captain Cook, The Whale's Tail
Anchorage, AK
2007 The Influence of Allegorical Patterns
International Gallery of Contemporary Art
Anchorage, AK
2007 Whimsy and Folly
Kaladi Brothers Café, Brayton Drive
Anchorage, AK

Group Exhibitions

2008 Buy My Art
MTS Gallery
Anchorage, AK
2008 Group Exhibition: May2 – June30
Middle Way Cafe
Anchorage, AK
2008 Annual Student Juried Exhibitions
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2008 Different Strokes for Different Folks
Consortium Library Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2008 Student 2-Dimensional Invitational Exhibition
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2008 We're All Famous
Consortium Library Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2008 Everything and the Kitchen Sink
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2008 Paint By Numbers
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2007 Fire as Purging for the Artist
Kimura Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2007 No Big Heads
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2007 Tart Petticoat Cakes: The Woman’s Predicament in Modern Society
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2007 Walk the Talk
MTS Gallery
Anchorage, AK
2007 2-Dimensional Student Invitational Show
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2007 Inside Out
Student Union Gallery, University of Alaska Anchorage
Anchorage, AK
2005 Annual Student Juried Show
Fred P. Giles Gallery, Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY
2004 Annual Student Juried Show
Fred P. Giles Gallery, Eastern Kentucky University
Richmond, KY