State of the ARTS: Hunter Ash

Process Prowess

“I have a deep belief that we are designed to create things,” explains Hunter Ash, an emerging contemporary abstract impressionist painter with a background in graphic design.

Arriving in Austin in 2019 after completing her studies at Baylor University, Hunter has put that core belief into practice, producing a steady series of commissioned work deeply rooted in a meditative and personal process with both herself and her patrons.

Taken collectively, her work is at once ephemeral and diagrammatic, seemingly freewheeling with its use of form, scale, and color, yet organized by a subtle structural layering that lends a sense of gravity to otherwise disparate and complementary gestures. The result is an aesthetic that feels delightfully improvisational, yet also highly controlled.

When approaching a new piece Hunter notes, “I’m trying to speak to a memory or a moment. I try to uncover pieces of it; it’s kind of a dance. Does it need more depth or contrast? Does it want to be a vast space or a simple, tranquil moment?”

Much of her work is oil-based “pour paintings” that require her to lay a canvas on the ground before pouring layers of diluted pigment onto the flat surface. The process is sporadic, spontaneous, and highly reactionary.

“Each act is in reaction to what I previously did. So, each mark speaks so loudly on its own that it informs the next step of the story, which then informs all future steps. The trick is knowing when to stop and not go any further.”

Hunter describes the process as liberating, especially when it yields something unexpected that informs something deeper within herself.

“As much as my art is a vehicle to communicate to a viewer, this is also a process that’s about me and my ability to synthesize the world around me.”

When questioned about how the events of this year have affected her burgeoning career, she is quick to offer gratitude to her patrons and is thankful for Austin’s art community, at large. She’s encouraged by the thought that art can be a resource for people in times of fear and uncertainty and sees opportunity in helping herself and others make sense of the broader world through her art.

She notes, “We all feel a mix of contradictory emotions right now. We’re not only missing our social lives but maybe also grateful to stay home. We’re fearful but thankful for more time around family. We don’t live in one season at a time. Exploring that with other people has been beautiful, and I consider it a gift that I hope serves others.”

Contact:
hunter-ash.com
@hunterash.art