Ashley Roane

An empty shell found on the beach has its story. What was once a home has now been abandoned and cast aside. Existing in a space and time of shifting tides, with an ever-changing landscape, the broken edges, worn exterior, and imperfections are a snapshot of the shell in that moment. While walking the coastline, there is an innate and primal compulsion to notice what is beneath our feet. What is it about the object and the individual that are drawn to certain colors and textures?

Playing with scale allows the viewer to experience the shell in the macro, altering the relationship to the object. The nuances and subtleties of the shell become amplified, putting the contours and edges into the forefront of the viewer’s gaze.

Sculptures are made in stoneware clay with an encaustic finish.

I have always had a deep connection to the ocean and am working to develop a communication with the sea, experiencing it firsthand; cataloging and collecting as I explore the coasts. These discoveries, piecing together a vast puzzle, are what inspire my art and help me to understand my relationship to an environment in a constant state of flux.