DVAA Member since 2023
THECOLORG
About:
THECOLORG (b. 1991, Central PA) is a millennial feminine queer interdisciplinary artist and professional arts administrator based in Philadelphia, PA. She holds an MFA from the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts and a BFA from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She has attended artist residencies at the Studios at MASS MoCA, Chautauqua Visual Arts, and the Walkaway House in North Adams, MA. Her work has been exhibited at many museums, galleries, and institutions across the country, including Annmarie Sculpture Garden & Arts Center (Smithsonian Institution), Moravian University, Lycoming College Gallery, Atelier FAS Gallery, PAFA, Cherry Street Pier, Edinboro University of Pennsylvania, the Erie Art Museum, and many more. In her spare time, Ash has built a handmade plush brand/entity – THECOLORG - focused on creating unique and custom plush for people of all ages. Her current project "MOO-D" has been generously funded by The Puffin Foundation through their 2022 artist grant cycle. Ash serves as the Program Coordinator of Continuing Education at Moore College of Art & Design where she supports arts programming for youth and adults – centering inclusivity and accessibility in her approach to all parts of the role.
Artist Statement:
Teddy bears and stuffed decorative objects made by my mee-maw and great aunt line the shelves of my mom’s hutches, and throughout my childhood stuffed animals were my source of inspiration and play. Into adulthood, my history and connection with soft objects has become a way for me to express my concerns and ideas through soft sculpture, plush, and site-specific installations. My work bridges my childhood and adulthood experiences, often citing architecture as a metaphor for the expected rigidness of adulthood, and the soft work as the assumed pliability of childhood. By using materials associated with comfort and innocence to explore presented concepts, I aim to simultaneously create a sense of familiarity and of introspection.
ON THE ART FEATURED —
Bearings Statement:
Over the past year, like many millennials finding it increasingly difficult to pay the rent and afford daily essentials, I began making and selling stuffed animals to help make ends meet. Through a literal smashing together of materials, Bearings brings together the "fine art" studio practice of painting and my "craft" plushie-making hustle to challenge the western notion that art exists separately from everyday life; that "craft" is inferior to "fine art"; and who or what "belongs" in a particular space. Polarized perspectives on art and the labor involved perpetuate harmful exploitative frameworks related to success, production, consumption, labor and social class. As millennials are projected to make up 75% of the US workforce by 2025, we face the reality of being the first generation in American history to generate less wealth than our parents. Who gets to decide what our labor is worth and who it serves? What makes these tiny bears worth $25 in a boutique shop, or $500 in a gallery space?
Handmade by Statement:
What makes something handmade? Have you ever considered mass-produced goods to be handmade? Handmade by unites my studio practice and plushie making hustle to challenge western binary perceptions of handmade as separate from production, and how this perception sustains harmful exploitative frameworks of labor, production, consumption, and value in Americana. This exhibit is a visual encounter with my ongoing research and reflection on these issues as it relates to my studio practice and choices as a maker and consumer.
