A Place of Wonder. Ellen Langford, artist
American Folk Art & Framing (AFA) presents an exhibition of work that honors lessons learned after Hurricane Helene. The Ties That Bind opens on the website on Wednesday, August 6, at 11 a.m., and in the gallery on Friday, August 8, at 11 a.m., with an evening reception from 5–8 p.m. The show runs through Wednesday, August 27.
Bird Silhouette Collage. Kent Ambler, artist
“The idea for this show was born while I was doing laundry in our creek after Helene,” says Julia L. Mills, owner of AFA. “Somehow, in all the madness of the storm’s aftermath, time slowed and we were performing the mundane acts of daily life in the most beautiful ways. That’s what really kept me grounded, just to keep on doing what was needed to take care of my people.”
The exhibition features the gallery’s artists whose work exemplifies the beautiful moments of everyday life and the connections among the people of a community. Among the artists represented in The Ties That Bind are Kent Ambler, Sonya Clemons, Winton and Rosa Eugene, Doug Frati, Ellen Langford, Liz Sullivan and a new addition to the gallery, Mississippi painter Church Goin Mule.
Barn Quilt in the Moonlight. Liz Sullivan, artist
Ambler’s work for the show is a study in contrasts, with the wooden elements he employs for woodblock printing used to create quilt-like pieces. “I cut woodblock print proofs into shapes that I then assembled into abstract ‘quilt’ collages,” he says. “I wanted to convey the idea of quilts, sometimes made alone but also often by groups of people.” Ideas around quilts suggesting harmony, he adds, include their being made for others in acts of care, the warmth they bring and the intergenerational aspect as they become family heirlooms.
Ambler is known for his woodblock prints that skillfully reflect a sense of place—either in a community of people or in the natural world. Turning the hand-carved and ink-stained woodblocks into representations of quilts after the printmaking process is a new direction for him. “I hope visitors enjoy a new take on the woodblock print,” he says, “the recycling/upcycling to create new, unique pieces of art.”
Many of the elements brought to the forefront by the hurricane—resilience, flexibility, home, family and simplicity—have found their way into the works displayed in The Ties That Bind.
American Folk Art & Framing is located at 64 Biltmore Avenue in Asheville. Hours are Monday through Saturday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit AmeriFolk.com or call 828.281.2134.
