Bo-Arts // Enlightenment
Boshemia introduces a new bi-weekly art/literature initiative: Bo-Arts. Twice a month, we will share creative writing and visual art submissions from our readers and folks who identify as feminist to give a larger audience to emerging creatives. Our goal is to provide a platform for feminist artists to share and discuss their work.
This second installment of Bo-Arts, Enlightenment, is brought to you by the American artist Ashley Renee Hoffman. Ashley Renee Hoffman is a photographer and collage artist living amongst mountains of magazines, not unlike the Appalachian mountains around her. In 2011 she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Shepherd University with a concentration in photography and computer imagery. During this time she rediscovered her legacy as an Appalachian as well as her sexuality.
Artist Statement - from Ashley
Through the camera lens, Ashley documents the splendor and devastation of Appalachia as well as the vibrant, beautiful people within this area. Her use of film and editing in camera coincides with the straightforward and honest values found in the culture of Appalachia.
Inspired by the people and landscapes encountered through her photographs, Ashley examines feminine ideals and pressures within social constructs and the detriment of the original woman, Mother Earth. Within her collages, she takes the nude form out of its pornographic context to reclaim the capitalization and exploitation of female sexuality. When this powerful imagery is juxtaposed with symbols of the natural and domestic world, Ashley creates a dialogue for important feminist and environmental issues.
