Artist Statement:
At the core of my creative process is a desire to explore the liminal space between internal and external experiences. Working intuitively with image transfer, paint, collage, and repetitive mark-making, I engage in a responsive process that unfolds organically as I build layers upon the page. Inspired by the interplay between somatic sensations and psychological states, I create mixed media works that examine the interconnections between body, psyche, and environment. Reoccurring motifs tend to appear throughout my work: fallow and fruition, isolation and connection, descent and emergence. Grounded in themes of trauma, transformation, and healing, my work examines the human body and the earth as interconnected, vulnerable, and regenerative systems. I depict female forms interwoven with biomorphic elements to suggest a porous boundary between self and ecosystem. The figures can be seen as conduits and transmitters that generate, process, and receive energy, emotion, and memory. Entwined with mycelia, microbes, and root systems, the human body becomes a network of neurons and veins that embodies a living interface between loss and renewal. The images are an attempt to metabolize both personal and planetary grief, while also envisioning a future rooted in sensitivity and repair.
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.