Ashley Flynn
To use a hackneyed cliché and describe Ashley Flynn’s work as ‘not for the fainthearted’, simultaneously undermines her raw energy, whilst discrediting her powerful canvases. These canvases extend far beyond their physical confines, spilling onto the gallery wall, reminiscent of a child who never keeps a tidy colouring book, nor their coloured pencils in rainbow-perfect order.
The partly transient nature of these paintings only adds to their appeal- they are surreally grotesque yet immediately compelling, drawing the viewer in, a viewer determined to observe every last detail- for who knows when such an opportunity will arise again? Combining almost poetic prose with dramatic imagery that seems to come from somewhere deep within, translated into a visual stream of consciousness that does not recognise boundaries.
Flynn’s inspiration is perhaps irrelevant, although much of her work revolves around depraved, x-rated depictions of disjointed families, rapists and animals. The strength of many of the canvases lies in their unpredictability, which ensures that the work remains fresh, whilst failing to elicit a stereotypical response. Their urgent immediacy dispels any sombre notions, although that is not to say the canvases do not have a certain kind of darkness.
The mix of spray paint, pastels, paint and charcoal means parallels are likely to be drawn between Flynn’s canvases and contemporary street art, and although I can imagine the formers demonic demons gracing the walls of Shoreditch, I can only assume it won’t be happening anytime soon. After all she is based across the Atlantic, in Philadelphia to be precise.
It’s somewhat surprising to learn that the apparently self-assured Flynn is just 24 years old, and a fourth year student at the Moore College of Art and Design, the only visual arts college dedicated solely to women in the U.S. Placing an emphasis on the cultivation of critical thinking and risk taking, producing graduates that distinguish themselves as visionary leaders in their chosen field.
Flynn’s second solo show ‘Expelled from Eden’, follows the critically acclaimed ‘Art Without Borders’, and shows at the Knapp Gallery, Philadelphia, until January 31, 2010.
Victoria Loomes
