Ashley Kelley
June 2008
Title of Show
Organics
Medium
Pigment Prints on Rice Paper with Wax
First Friday Reception
Friday, June 6, 5:30 - 8 PM
Artist Statement
In my photography I try to create a moment that’s timeless, that shows how beautiful natural everyday things can be. To me the most interesting things to photograph are the small objects that most people don’t look at twice. To make my viewer take that second look I shoot my images in an abstract way so they have to really look at it to figure out what it is, and they can really contemplate on its own uniqueness and beauty. I also enjoy when people find shapes within the images that look like other things, such as birds and faces, this aspect adds to the layers of meaning and gives reason to look again and again at the same image.
My subjects in this series include fruits, vegetables and most recently wild mushrooms I’ve found around my home in Alaska. I often turn to farmer’s markets and nature where it’s best to find fruits and vegetables that are unique because of their “one of a kind” shapes, textures, and imperfections. These unique subjects are usually the ones left behind, and are always the best ones for photographing.
I add to the textures of my subjects with my technique of photographing and printing their images. I use a 4x5 camera and Polaroid Type 55 positive/negative film. I let the chemicals dry on the negative which creates a different texture every time. Then I scan and print the images on rice paper and coat them with a thin layer of wax to protect the print and add to the texture and depth of the image.
Artist Bio—Ashley was born in Washington State and lived much of her childhood there. She also lived in Alaska for four years and would visit family there often. After graduating from high school she went to college in San Francisco at the Academy of Art University and received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in fine art photography. She received the award for Directors Choice Portfolio in the Academy’s 2006 Spring Show, and 2nd and 3rd place awards in the 2005 Spring Show. Ashley also volunteered for charity art shows at Visual Aid in San Francisco and Guest Lectured for the AAU and City College. Before leaving San Francisco she had two successful solo shows, one at an Academy gallery and one at the Canvas Gallery.
After graduating from college she decided to try living in Alaska for a few years to visit family before settling down. She has enjoyed showing her work in member shows at the International Gallery of Contemporary Art, and through the Alaska Photographic Center, and looks forward to being challenged with more shows and contests during her stay in Alaska.
Additional Works
Contact the Artist
ashleydkelley@hotmail.com, 227-8527