Seeing Ashley Sophia Clark (@ashleysophiaclark)’s work is like diving deep into a shot of a David Lynch film, full of surprises and surreal as hell. There's mood upon mood, velvet galore and household objects used for purposes unintended. This is what Ashley Sophia Clark does as an artist and photographer. She is able to make magic with the everyday to the point it’s nothing less than exciting, ethereal and encompassing. Bring in tassels, clashing patterns, powder bombs and balloons with great locations and you have yourself a style that Ashley is renowned for.
When it comes to photography, Clark would describe her style as messy and a little out of focus, but her most favourite photos come through supposed mishaps and malfunctions. It reminds her that nothing can ever really be a mistake. Photography is all about intuition, that gut snap and experimenting. Her favourite shots are the ones that have feeling, that tell a bigger story. The ones that feel like a single frame in a film. Clark is big on emotions and multiple realities. They are like visual post-it notes for the future yet to come.
Ashley believes in a collaborative approach to her shoots, the bonds that form from channeling ideas through minds. Like tiny parties in weird situations, Ashley takes her subjects on a journey, whether it be assisting with tennis balls and fishing wire, to blowing a room full of balloons and scouring locations upon locations for the perfect fake hair. There is never a dull moment on shoot with Clark.
When we look at the style of Clark it’s an etopia of pastels, dreamy hues, hidden faces and energetic pleasure. Every image is well structured, yet free. You can tell her subjects are amidst frolicking fun whilst also understanding the feel Ashley envisions.
Her work is a mixture of Edward Hopper meets Nadia Lee Cohen, both full of emotion and brimming with dreamy hues. They are both interesting and intricate offering more at each glance. This can also be said of Clark's nature in that she loves narratives and is fine tuned to her emotions. The grounding feeling that exhuberates from her imagery all play homage to the essence of Clark herself.
Clark believes photography is about feeling. Technically abilities help, but they are not priority. If she could give you one piece of advice, it would be to go with what you believe and if you happen to do it in a Molly Goddard dress and bicycle shorts then she is your supportive cheerleader.
