Claire Ashley:
Lumpy Morsels, Hot Rocks
Artist Reception and Performance: Thursday, February 4, 6 to 8 pm
Gallery Talk: Thursday, February 11, 11 a.m.
Artist Lecture: Wednesday February 17, 12 - 1pm, MAC 153. Part of the College of DuPage Visiting Artist Lecture Series
Widely regarded for her neon splashed and unwieldy blown up forms, Ashley has created an original body of work for this exhibition consisting of numerous small inflatable sculptures painted in a gradated palette. Piled, stacked, and squeezed in the space, the resulting bakery-style display exists as a mangled conglomeration of rocks, breasts, and buns, responsive to body and landscape.
Continuing her investigation into the relationship between painting, sculpture, and performance, for “Lumpy Morsel, Hot Rocks” Ashley will also present a collaborative work with dancers from the Chicago area in the gallery space during the opening reception on Feb. 4 from 6 – 8 p.m. Performing while partially or fully submerged within her sculptures, the dancers activate and extend the polarities inherent to the inflatable form and its bodily metaphors. The physical contrasts between inhale and exhale, tautness and wrinkles, strength and weakness are consistently explored in Ashley’s work.
