Artist Statement
The core of my art practice is a combination of compulsory making, intuitive play, thoughtful writing/research, and finding the place where they all intersect. The “making” isn’t really a choice, but rather a necessity to express or explore something deeper that I don’t quite know or understand immediately. As a result, a lot of my work starts either without a “why” or a “what”, meaning that either the visual precludes the writing, or the writing precludes the visual. Much of the process involves combing through each to find the visual metaphors between the lines, and the threads that are pulled and teased to knit a narrative around a common idea. This lends itself to the emotionally charged themes explored which often include fracture, failure, shame, optimism, healing, resilience, and the quiet complexities of being human. Some metaphors are direct and obvious, while some take contemplation and reflection.
My practice focuses on ceramics and printmaking, but is open to mixed-media opportunities as they present themselves. The familiarity I have with clay and printmaking makes them an easy starting point, but I often find other materials/modes of making to add that better serve the visual metaphors I find and want to emphasize in my work. This means my work can push the boundaries of the materials I work with, or stay in the realm of tradition. Either way, hair makes a frequent appearance for some reason.
Historically, my work has focused on sociological/psychological study and inquiry. This comes from a deep fascination I have with how exterior experiences become interior ones (or visa-versa), and their influence on the way we perceive, understand, and react to the world. Whether it is my own inner dialogue or from others around me, physically manifesting these inner experiences is a way to give form to a formless idea and create an opportunity for connection with others whom it might resonate with. This contributes to an ongoing fascination I have with the shared experience and the ways that we can connect in understanding without even exchanging a word, and also mirrors my community driven curatorial practice.
Curatorial Statement
My community driven curatorial practice is rooted in fostering critical engagement with the arts across all practices including traditionalism, craft, and contemporary. I have developed and managed exhibitions that integrate scholarly research, invite collaboration, inspire community participation, and maintain a commitment to artistic excellence. In all exhibitions, I oversee the full curatorial process with detail, vision, and careful consideration.
I specialize in creating exhibitions that encourage interdisciplinary dialogue and connect artists in and across gallery spaces through their work. Each project is conceived with an emphasis on educational impact and socio-cultural relevancy, all with a goal of advancing contemporary artistic expression.
Bio
Ashley Cluver is a sculptor and curator from Southern Oregon. She holds a BFA in Sculpture from the Pacific Northwest College of Art. Her practice is rooted in ceramics and printmaking, but calls upon other mediums when necessary. Cluver is the current Exhibitions Coordinator at Umpqua Valley Arts, where she serves as resident curator, gallery director, and studio manager for the organization’s clay studio. She oversees the full curatorial process for all five galleries, which cycle out five times a year, and oversees studio operations and programming at The Clay Place, Douglas County’s largest and oldest running community ceramic studio. She believes in the importance of making the arts accessible and engaging to everyone across the socio-political spectrum and aims to develop programming and/or organizations that reflect this at the core of their mission.
Ashley Cluver 