Artist Statement:
At the core of my creative process is a desire to explore the liminal space between internal and external experiences. Inspired by the interplay between somatic sensations and psychological states, I create mixed media works on paper that are evocative of emotional residue and visceral felt senses. I work intuitively, utilizing combinations of image transfer, collage, painting, and repetitive mark-making, in a process of continually responding to what organically emerges . Themes of fallow and fruition, isolation and connection, and descent and emergence weave throughout my imaginal landscapes, as I reference both the body and the earth as sites of trauma, transformation, and healing. By intertwining elements of the body with biomorphic motifs, I seek to realign human embodiment within the natural cycles, patterns, and systems that exist beyond society's anthropocentric lens.
Artist Bio:
Ashley Blanton holds a Bachelors of Art in Studio Art from the College of Santa Fe and a Masters of Professional Studies in Art Therapy and Creativity Development from Pratt Institute. She is a Board-Certified Art Therapist (ATR-BC) who currently lives and works in Asheville, North Carolina. Ashley has worked within the education departments of the Georgia O'Keeffe Museum and SITE Santa Fe, and she has facilitated virtual workshops for the Brooklyn Art Library. Most recently, her artwork appeared in the May/June 2024 print issue of Resurgence & Ecologist Magazine.