Claire Helen Ashley wants people to embrace the humorous side of contemporary art.
One way she does this is with painted inflatable sculptures that are sometimes internally lit.
“I think about it as a perfect meeting of painting and sculpture and a living breathing object in a kinetic way — kind of like human beings,” Ashley said.
Ashley’s inflatable art will be on display at the First Financial Music Hall in February 2020, and she’ll discuss how she developed the art at 7 p.m. Oct. 22 at the First Financial Music Hall (101 E Locust St.).
The project is being made possible by the Murphy Art District’s partnership with the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art.
Ashley, who teaches at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in the Contemporary Practices and Painting and Drawing departments, said she views each inflatable sculpture as a human portrait that are actively vibrating.
She said she’ll typically build the inflatable first. Ashley said she’ll sew objects into the material and, if the inflated product is small enough, will inflate it and paint. If it’s one of the larger pieces, though, she may paint and then inflate it.
“(The) paint marks look more like tye-dye or the markings on an animal. Like camouflage or tiger stripes,” Ashley said. “It’s like an ancient sort of survivalist code, so it’s self-operating as attraction and repulsion.”
Ashley said she hopes people are attracted to the art in a way they may not traditionally think about contemporary art. She said she wants them to laugh and find the humor in it, but she also wants them to feel connected to it in a way.
“They’ll hopefully find the forms sort of hilarious and ridiculous, but something they want to spend time with and hug,” Ashley said.
Ashley said those who see the exhibit will be able to sit in bean bag chairs and spent time with the art, as well as lay on the floor and look up at it (although she said she didn’t want to give too much away). She said the pieces have a more alien landscape vibe, and mentioned a similarity to cocoons.
The exhibit was made with the First Financial Music Hall in mind. Ashley said she has done similar exhibits, but none quite to the degree it will be in El Dorado.
Ashley will also work with Advanced Placement student in Pat Johnson’s art class at El Dorado High School. Students have been given prompts and will work in groups of seven to construct pieces that will be displayed in the EHS atrium.
“I think (working with students is) a way for them to be supported, and is a way for their ideas to be in the world,” Ashley said. “(It shows them) that (art is) a possible option for them as they’re thinking about college.”
Other schools in El Dorado will also benefit from the exhibit and incorporate it into the spring semester’s lessons.
Gay Bechtelheimer, former El Dorado Public School Educator of the Year (2014), is working with El Dorado Public Schools to integrate Arkansas Curriculum Framkeworks with the exhibition.
Bechtelheimer said teachers will be given vocabulary specifically for the exhibit to give to their students beforehand. She said students will also be able to compete in a writing contest in their own grade for a $100 prize.
“The exhibit has something for everybody,” Bechtelheimer said. “It’s something that families can come to, it’s something children can bring their families to after they’ve been through.”
Bechtelheimer also said she’ll be reaching out to other school districts throughout the county, as well as districts in the region, so they can also benefit from this experience.
“I encourage everyone to take advantage of it, to come see it, to come experience it,” Bechtelheimer said. “And we hope that we can develop on this program and do it again and have something as equally wonderful.”