Pastel on wood panel, in part of the Houseplants series.

Ashley Snook

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Dr. Ashley Snook is an award winning interdisciplinary artist, researcher and educator, and holds a PhD in Art and Visual Culture (studio stream). Informed by biology, scientific research and socio-cultural dynamics, Snook explores the complexities of diverse living networks and the concept of animality. To Snook, exploring ones own unique position in animality has the potential to open perspective on human existence and relationships with one another, human-animal relationships, and relationality to the more-than-human world. It is a rebellious act against hegemonic forces that have enabled things like environmental degradation, capitalism, hate, overworking, and conformity. Her practice explores connections through differences, impermanence, composting, and imaginative reworlding, and therefore, animality is a constant theme of contemplation in Snooks work. Working predominantly in drawing, sculpture and installation, animality is imbued in everything she does. She is fascinated by the micro and macro relationships between human animals, nonhuman animals, bacteria, fungi, and vegetal/botanical life—this prompts her to blur distinctions as to what is human, animal, plant, living, or nonliving. Rooted in ecological reverence and intuitive knowledge, Snook’s work also draws from green witch magic—an embodied practice of attuning to the natural world through ritual, herbalism, and sacred reciprocity. This approach deepens her exploration of interconnectivity, guiding her to work with organic materials and ephemeral processes that honor cycles of decay and renewal. Within these methods of creating, Snook looks to ways in which she can further engage her audience. This often looks like incorporating viewer participation, encouraging presentness, sensory awakening, for example, by incorporating smell, mood lighting, tactility, sound, and playfulness in her work.