Conversations with Ashlynn Browning

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashlynn Browning.

Hi Ashlynn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a North Carolina native from Charlotte originally and live in Raleigh, NC currently. Ever since childhood, I knew I wanted to be an artist, but my earliest plans were to be a children’s book illustrator. That changed in college when I discovered oil painting and the work of Willem de Kooning and Philip Guston, among many others. That’s when I knew I would be an abstract painter, and I never looked back. I was lucky enough to have some really great professors who mentored me and helped me pursue that path. 

Majoring in studio art as an undergrad was my primary intent, but I have always loved literature and writing, so double majoring in English was a natural fit. The creative and analytical processes are very similar in a lot of ways with writing and art, so I feel that the two majors really fed each other and cross-pollinated ideas in interesting ways. 

After graduating, I went straight into an MFA program at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, where I studied painting and printmaking. Then I set up my own studio space with the wonderful help of a Joan Mitchell Foundation MFA Grant and have been making work and exhibiting locally, nationally, and internationally steadily since that time. 

Over the years, through graduate school at UNCG and beyond, my mediums have changed from printmaking (etching and monoprints) to drawing, collage, and works on paper, and from using acrylic to finally, a circular journey back to oil paint. My forms have fluctuated as well, going from organic and gestural to more geometric over the years. That pendulum seems to swing back and forth, and currently, I’m letting more loose drawing back into the work as well as collage elements. 

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have two young sons, so juggling my art with motherhood is an interesting challenge. Surprisingly though, I find myself more driven and more prolific since having children. There’s just no time to mess around in the studio, so some good risks are taken with forced time constraints. 

As an artist, and especially as a woman, I think there’s a lot of compartmentalizing that has to happen. We live so many different lives and roles. In the studio, if I’m lucky, I can get into the space of flow where time slips away, and I’m truly in a creative zone where it’s all-consuming. I’ve always been a “morning to early afternoon” painter, and fortunately, that matches up with school schedules. Still, turning off the art brain in order to do the other responsibilities in life is always a tricky tightrope walk. It’s a constant struggle to strike that balance. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I work in oil paint on wood panels. The paintings contain a hybrid of geometric and organic forms created through an intuitive painting process. The work is multi-layered, both in process and concept. 

In each painting, there is often an inner core or soul that is being encased and protected by an outer shell-like geometric structure. They are abstract paintings, seemingly, but I think of the forms in my paintings as stand-ins for figures and possibly even self-portraits in a sense, each showing a different side of myself. The forms all have personalities and implied narratives. Some are hunched over, seemingly contemplative, hesitant, and timid. Others have postures and colors that evoke boldness and tenacity. When the paintings are done, I see them as living entities. 

There is never a plan or study for a painting in the beginning. Intuitive decision-making is the main drive for my work and the only way I get a piece that is successful to my eye. I begin with the classic Abstract Expressionist approach: “Make a mark, respond to that mark, etc.” I would say at least seventy-five percent of each painting is made by trusting my gut and putting down colors and marks that I’m driven to choose, even when, logically, they don’t make much sense to me at the time. I feel like this subconscious approach is light years ahead of any slow, cerebral decision I might make, 

And yet the other twenty-five percent of the process is where I will let a layer sit for a while and just look at it over a period of days, plotting my next move. That calculated choice may or may not remain in the final piece, but it is still an important part of the process. So, in the end, the painting contains a layered accumulation of thoughtful decisions and purely felt acts. That seems to be the process that resonates the most deeply for me. 

Currently, my work seems to be moving a bit away from the singular form and into a territory where it appears to be more of an “event” taking place, a representation of a broader psychological state. The imagery evokes explosive energy, outward growth, and a sense of fractured, dynamic space. 

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
Growing up, I had excellent art teachers and later professors who nurtured my talent and helped me see a path to becoming an artist. Having that mentorship along the way was so important. Also, my parents and partner have been extremely supportive, and that has always given me the foundation to be able to pursue my passion. I’d also like to give credit to the galleries who represent my work. Whitespace in Atlanta, GA, run by Susan Bridges, and Hodges Taylor Gallery in Charlotte, NC, run by Lauren Harkey. They work so hard for their stable of artists and go above and beyond to make exhibitions, artist talks, and sales happen. Most importantly, they dedicate their lives and careers to spreading an awareness and appreciation of art with the public. I am hugely grateful to have them as advocates of my work. 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.ashlynnbrowning.com
• Instagram: @browning19