The Slithering Creature that Leaks through the Realm of your Subconscious
Ashley Speros
Exhibition was on view from January 12th - February 2nd, 2010
Exhibition Description & Artist Statement
Through subconscious and automatic thought, Ashley Speros work dwells in the organic and surreal. The sculptures on display in this exhibit embodied principles of animism from which a soul and character metaphorically emerged from previously lifeless materials. They evoked the feeling of a viable presence pleading for emotional interaction and serving as an instrument for activating the unconscious and catalyzing desire.
At the core of Speros work, nature is always the chief inspiration. Finding rotted burls and logs in the woods is a reoccurring muse for her. This wood is then either incorporated directly into the work or the resulting forms are derived from its shape. The history and inherent environment of this material gives Spero an instant connection to the piece and serves as a basis for her intuitive process. The intertwining of organic and synthetic materials is also important in her work to illustrate the juxtaposition of man-made elements with that of the natural environment.
These pieces took on anthropomorphic qualities with fluent forms and smooth transitions. The voluptuous, feminine contours used in these works were directly rooted to ideas of the female earth. This visual aesthetic alludes to ideas that emerge from the natural environment, yet dwell in the subconscious. This serves to provide a more holistic outlook that blends the external, natural world with that that of the meditative, spiritual one. Spero believed that too often in modern society, the connection between human and nature is denied and intrinsically human characteristics dissipate.
About the Artist
Ashley Spero was born in 1987 in Boca Raton, Florida. After residing in numerous areas throughout the country, she chose to remain in Boone, NC to attain her BFA at Appalachian State University pending in May of 2010. Her concentrations were sculpture and painting, though she utilized a wide range of media and variety of processes. She has exhibited work at the University of North Carolina General Assembly, as well as ASUs Art Expo where she received the jurors choice for best sculpture, as well as a departmental scholarship. Spero has also exhibited her work at a wide range of music and art festivals. Several of her pieces have been purchased for a private collection by the Myal Plantation at Walnut Hill in Raleigh, NC. She has participated in several internships in Santa Fe, New Mexico and an Artist Residency with Tasmanian artist, Patrick Hall. Spero served as a studio technician for the ASU sculpture department and was part of the staff at the Catherine J. Smith Gallery.
