ASHLEY MACK
STATEMENT
GALLERY
CLIENT GALLERY
BIOGRAPHY
BLOG
CONTACT
2011 (c) ashley mack art. all rights reserved
STATEMENT
Blockhead2010_66x96in.png
Artist Statement
Parodies of what we think we know about history are our pathos for making sense of the world we live in. For me, inspiration is a mash-up of the institutionalized vernacular of art history, architecture and humanity paired with the aesthetics of flashy video games, neon signs, billboards and computer parts in summation, the world we live in today. To explore these concepts in strict reality would likely result in garish advertising, but there is humility in discovering it through abstraction. Keeping the focus on formal aesthetics in my current body of work, a bright pop palette infuses paintings with an emotional appeal while geometric forms celebrate the pleasant zen-like fizz of commoditized nothingness. With an emphasis on negotiating both aesthetics and its function as a cultural interface for the world we live in, the resulting artwork is equal parts cryptic and clear cut, lighthearted and sarcastic, intellectual and yet indulgently child-like and whimsical.
GALLERY
PAINTING
DRAWING
MIXED MEDIA
PAINTING
Blockhead2010_66x96in.png
FlipTheChannel_48x60in.jpg
InTheStack2010_56x72in.jpg
GiveGoodFace2010_60x60in.jpg
DRAWING
RainbowBrite2009_11x14in.jpg
TheCenter2009_11x14in.jpg
Scream2009_11x14in.jpg
Queen2009_11x14in.jpg
Dunce2009_11x14in.jpg
ClownMakeup2009_11x14in.jpg
Float2009_11x14in.jpg
LaundryDay2010_11x14in.jpg
Bone2009_11x14in.jpg
Amazon2009_11x14in.jpg
Bust
6
MIXED MEDIA
Root2007_120x168x39in.JPG
Touch2008_variousdimensions.jpg
Faint2007_108x144x39in.JPG
Tron2008_96x84x15in.jpg
Art2007_18x18in.JPG
Bustle2009_variousdimensions.jpg
CLIENT GALLERY
BIOGRAPHY
Bio
Ashley Mack pursued art from a very early age and gravitated to painting as her preferred media. She studied privately with professional artists from the age of seven and enjoyed early success. When she was 16, Ashley got her artistic break by becoming one of two artists commissioned nationally to create a promotional 'cow' for Cow Parade, the world's largest folk art event. As a result of her participation in the event, Ashley had her first press conference, book cover, and media interview. She went on to be featured in local newspapers, win honors in national juried art competitions and numerous scholarships and has been featured in Southern Living magazine. Through design, book illustration, corporate logos, advertising, and private commissions by art collectors, Ashley has continued to expand her artistic career. She is a graduate of MICA in Baltimore, Maryland, with a BFA and a minor in art history. Upon completion of her degree, she moved to New York City where she lives, works, and maintains a studio in Brooklyn. Ashley has worked internationally in Europe and has shown her work in France in recent years. Her current painting focus continues to push the edge with the invention of new processes for abstract painting with the resulting images representing an opportunity for viewers to play in paradoxes. Her bright palette adds whimsy to geometric structure and challenges the intellect in new ways that engage the emotions and look at the world from a new perspective.
BLOG
Blog
meshing art & business: it's a lot coming at you! | MAY 2011I recently read an article about artist Carmen Herrera in which she thought about (on her 94th birthday) the advice she would give to her 20 year old self. Being 24 and an emerging artist in NYC, it is difficult to find time to work (to have money to live) and to pursue my own art-making and still enjoy the art in this city I love. Yet I take heart in her words as she advises, "Don't hurry up - take your 20s as long as you can." "It takes time to get gallery owners to notice and for sales to occur," she reminds.The Joel Morrison sculpture exhibition at the Gagosian Gallery has captured my interest. I can relate to his stainless steel and fiberglass sculptures. Like my current work, they are a mix of paradoxes: visually conspicuous embedded forms, but at the same time there's a space in the piece for individual interpretation. There is a fault line present between the unique yet familiar in these pieces. I also understand all too well the sometimes arduous and lengthy process involved in this type of art making! I wonder, how did he get this far in his art and in the business of art?My current art-related work projects have ranged from advertising brochures for property, interior design of several apartment models in Hell's Kitchen, investigating architects and artists for renovations and outdoor public sculptures, and getting the right look for event promotions. All are aspects of art used to promote business. I have come to understand the importance of working as hard on business, presentation and promotion outside as well as inside of the studio. The weekend comes and I long for studio time, completion of some large scale paintings, and sketching out some new ideas. But how to prioritize NYC fun, art-making, sleep and business promotion??? I can now even go outside! (Don't all New Yorkers convene in the park this time of year?) As Carmen said, "...[in] your 20s, there's a lot coming at you!" I feel that but this twenty-something believes she can learn to merge art and the business world...and I plan to enjoy EVERYTHING along the way!
CONTACT
Let me hear from you! Contact Ashley at:
ashleymackart_gmail.com
404.375.7259
PURCHASE
