By Artist Ashley Rivers- The Nature of Fire

An estuary is a point of convergence- it is the space between, where freshwater rivers and salty ocean waters merge. This point, where the union of different elements and organisms come together to meet at a single point- where adaption and growth occurs, and the life of our special little oysters grows- indicates and symbolizes the very setting this exhibition is meant to be portrayed in.

Through repetition and active material experimentation, these artworks investigate the intrinsic relationship between the natural systems and developments of an oyster and its shell, and the symbolism of them compared to our human identity- specifically to my lived artistic experiences. The work explores my personal experience with artistic growth, environmental factors, and materials/media experimentation over the years I have been practicing as a professional artist.

Working with multiple mediums- including clays, raw dyes and pigments, natural fibers, metals, wood, and hand-made papers and twines- the sculptures aim to share, through textural and vulnerable forms, that humans and nature share systematic parallels.

This collection is directly influenced by the oyster shell and its deep, layered, and detailed ridges. Created through a combination of growth, environmental factors, and the deposition of materials, the ridges of the oyster shell act as a metaphor following my artistic identity and experiences lived. 

The art is intended to achieve an inspiring and transformational impact on those who experience it by sharing the importance of not only restorative efforts of personal growth, but the importance of restorative efforts on/for the environment.

This exhibition is the space between.