The Cross Sections Of Nature
Contemporary pen and ink fine art by Doug Ashby.
People often will ask where my inspiration comes from. This is an exceptionally difficult question to answer because the truth of the matter is…I am not exactly sure. I can say for definite that I look towards nature. Which is funny because I am far from being described a nature lover. That probably has something to do with my deadly allergy to bee stings. However I do enjoy long walks and when on them I try to be aware of the surrounding space and the offerings it has. I find it easy to be in awe. If I come across something that looks interesting I generally stop, observe and then take several pictures of it. The above image contains just that. I used a photograph of a dried up leaf still clinging to the tree that it belonged to. From there though I diverge a bit.
The impetus behind the design in the background is from technology in many ways. An abstract of circuitry. There is an intersection between nature, and the manipulation of nature that we humans create, that I find fascinating. Even though we would like to separate out, not just ourselves at times from nature, but that which we create, it is all born of the same source. It’s that cross section if you will that fascinates me and ultimately I want to believe that I am striving to create art that pushes that idea.
As I sit here right now thinking, I am a biological creature that is leveraging the creations of said creatures to connect over vast distances. The device in my hand, and iPad currently, is simply a construction from raw, natural materials, that allows for things that so many before would have considered magic. The truth in that matter is though, as all human inventions before, that there is duality in the power of the use. Information technology can be used for good and evil and it can be quite challenging to navigate the realm in a reasonable and responsible manner. By looking towards the reality that in the end, when reduced all the way down, it is all just the product of earth. A product of humanity intersecting with its environment.
I believe what’s truly frightening is just how fast the development, and deployment, of these technologies is moving. Generative AI for example was merely a catch phrase less than a decade ago and now it stands poised to transform our lives in ways we can barely grasp a hold of. In some respects I see my work, the inspiration for it, as a way to catch our breath in this momentum. To slow down and perceive the direction we are pushing nature towards within the boundaries of a hand made artwork that could only be created in a slow and methodical manner. For there is only so fast I can work. I am limited by nature and external and internal forces that often are far beyond my control.
When I try and boil down to the essence of the question stated above, where does my inspiration come from, I find that the answer is just as messy and chaotic as life is. In truth I don‘t really know. I have broad strokes such as I mentioned above, but I feel in many ways it is not incumbent upon the artist to fully explain what they do. That is up to the viewer. In many ways I simply respond, through my art, to the varied stimulus of life. I create and put it out there. Good or bad in my mind. I have learned to be indifferent towards that and simply move on to the next. I am just grateful in the end that I have the time and space to work.
As always I hope you enjoy the writing and the art. Please leave a comment and let’s engage.
Doug
