In my fine art practice, I work mostly with the elements of printmaking and drawing. My work relies on process, materiality, and spontaneity. I am inspired by my surroundings, often using found objects and textures in my work indirectly or at times, printed right from the actual object found. The work is heavily influenced by automatic making processes as well as the relationship between cause and effect. I often work on large scale mixed media monoprints that push the boundaries of traditional printmaking by layering textures, organic matter, and printmaking and drawing techniques- using and re-using emboss and ghost images to imply a foreign landscape.
I find inspiration and meaning in transforming mundane, marginalized, or ignored. For example, a large portion of my work stems from the interest in dead plant matter.
While living in Southern California, I became fascinated by the strange textures and shapes of palm tree debris, specifically Mexican and California Fan Palms. I began collecting fallen pieces as I came upon them. Working with a limited amount of control, I began to print with the flatter pieces, some going through the etching press many times. The result is a series of organic, unpredictable black and white monotypes, each unique and irreproducible. I pushed this project for 7 years. When shown in various spaces, I used the concept of chance and environment to curate the gallery space. Seeking to explore the idea of control or lack thereof, I attempted to mimic wind patterns and storm debris by dropping or throwing sticks in the gallery onto a map on the floor. Numbers on these sticks correlated to individual works on paper. Wherever they fell on my gallery map is where they would hang in the space. This is my longest running project to date.
That chapter has closed and I am in the beginning stages of working on a new project. I have moved to a completely different landscape- Louisville, KY. This new work aims to reflect on my previous homes as well as this new one. It will consider not only works on paper but installation, performance and three-dimensional work.
Ash Shumaker 