Artist Ashley D. Pierce uses dremel to carve wood after painting on it. Credit: Courtesy of Ashley D. Pierce
When Duff Lindsay saw a picture of Ashley D. Pierce’s artwork on social media, he immediately asked her to hold her own exhibition in his gallery.
Lindsay, owner of the Lindsay Gallery in the Short North, bought the piece, and after seeing more of Pierce’s work knew it needed to be showcased.
“Just on the basis of seeing that one piece, I asked her to show me some more of her work.” Lindsay said. “After seeing it, I said ‘we need to get you on the schedule and get you a show, because this is really unique.’”
This weekend, Pierce will open her third solo show at the Lindsay Gallery.
Pierce describes her work as “mainly illustration on wood with more details that I carve into it.”
She uses a tool called a dremel to carve the wood after painting on it, which is unusual since most artists carve wood before painting or drawing on it.
“The dremel is the last thing that I do,” Pierce said. “That’s really when the piece starts to come together, because the dremel really adds the detail that I want. So, I really have to picture the piece at its ending point, so I know the dremel will work out in the end.”
Lindsay described Pierce’s work as containing animal-like humans and human-like animals –– all of which are used to represent her life and her experiences.
“She is really acting things out about her life and life in general through these creatures,” Lindsay said.
Outside of making her own art, Pierce uses her talent to help people with physical and developmental disabilities –– a career that she is passionate about. Although she has always “messed around,” she never saw her own work as anything more than a hobby and way to express herself.
“A majority of it is personal, but then also all of the things that are going on in the world definitely creep in, like politics and all of the stuff that has an effect on us and creeps into our lives,” Pierce said. “It’s not something you look at and see a literal interpretation, but it’s definitely apparent, especially in this particular show, there is more of that than there has been in the past.“
Pierce’s exhibition will debut with an opening reception Friday at 6 p.m. The Lindsay Gallery is located at 986 N. High St. in the Short North and admission is free to the public.
