Fashioning a Fable, Dyed, painted, and screen printed sheets, dimensions variable, 2009
Enchanted Hallow, Screen printed found sheets, cardboard, 6’x 7 ’x 12,’ 2010
Festival Gate, Screen printed paper, fabric, cardboard, packaging edge protectors, and wire, 28’x28, 2012
Re-Composing, Screen printed paper, fabric, cardboard, found chair, 7’x 15’x 4,’ 2014
Today we have something a little different from our usual 2D fare, these exciting sculptural installations by Philadelphia-based artist Ashley Rodriguez Reed!
“Movement, growth, and transformation are all important themes in my art. I use cardboard, textiles and screen printed imagery to create installations because the material is humble and everyday. The printed surfaces are from photographs and drawings that create a mood for the space. By transforming these materials, my goal is to create a narrative through them that is open for wonder and excitement. I want participants to enter into the space and engage with it through their imagination and physical senses.
The use of print, pattern, and color create a sense of energy that relates to a time and place that I am referencing. I’m interested in our idealism of nature and our struggle to work within a natural cycle as we progress. Our own evolution and ingenuity cannot be stopped as we figure out how to maintain a balance between our push towards growth and with nature’s cycle.”
I am so intrigued by Ashley’s mixed-media approach and the new life she brings to patterns by making them a part of a 3D space. If you’d like to learn more about her inspiring work (and see some of her gorgeous 2D pattern collections as well!) visit www.ashleyrodriguezreed.com. Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! -Chelsea