Ashley Raye Harris
Black. Blackness. Dark. Darkness. Black as dark brown. Black as tan. Black as blue. Black as absence. Black as depth. Black as body. Black as preconceived notions. Black as my body. My body as the vessel in which I process my experiences. My experiences from the experiences of those before me. The experiences in which I don’t know but know happened, for without them I wouldn’t be here.
Black is a deeply complex word, it is a word with many meanings. Language about race in America is often used as a dichotomous tool to describe people, communities, and bodies. This has had profound effects on how race is perceived today. As a Black, multi-racial, woman, my studio practice examines how restrictive language about race has impacted my experiences in America and beyond. I am interested in how the complexities of BIPOC experiences can be articulated through material investigations, sculpture, and performance. My work is a tool to be used alongside language.
I approach my work with a longing desire to unpack the effects of viewing bodies as artifacts. I have been creating fragmented, fragile sculptures that reference bodies rather than replicate. In many ways, I am creating artifacts that change with time, offering glimpses of a larger story and narrative. They offer space to question the role of the body, the understandings and misunderstandings of tone, color and skin. Glass, wood, fire, metal, thread, and natural materials are all used as tools to question the way language is used to describe people and communities. These questions are meant to break apart the contrasting, this or that, approach to understanding BIPOC experiences and lead to intersectional conversations between people.
I approach my work with a longing desire to unpack the effects of viewing bodies as artifacts. I have been creating fragmented, fragile sculptures that reference bodies rather than replicate. In many ways, I am creating artifacts that change with time, offering glimpses of a larger story and narrative. They offer space to question the role of the body, the understandings and misunderstandings of tone, color and skin. Glass, wood, fire, metal, thread, and natural materials are all used as tools to question the way language is used to describe people and communities. These questions are meant to break apart the contrasting, this or that, approach to understanding BIPOC experiences and lead to intersectional conversations between people.