About the Exhibition
Rooted in the tradition of craft, my work recreates the private ritual of interior decoration within the public sphere by referencing domestic forms and household objects. I use the meditative process of crochet, where every stitch is evidence of work by hand. This slow, methodical process serves as a counterpoint to a culture increasingly shaped by virtual connections, disposability, and instant gratification.
This exhibition brings together three interconnected series that expand my larger-scale installation practice through smaller-scale investigations of material and memory. The works explore how familiar forms can move beyond their original contexts and how traditional techniques can be reimagined. As materials are altered, they reveal traces of personal histories while taking on new meanings.
Ashley is offering a lecture as a free event here at VMOTA in conjunction with her exhibition.
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Exhibition Gallery
Mother Plant #1 2025
Crocheted yarn and vintage sterling silver and silver-tone engraved children’s charms. Crochet and knitting.
Mother Plant #2
2026
Crocheted yarn and vintage gold-tone photo pendants. Crochet and knitting.
Shades of Home 2025
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Catherine Wheel #1 2024
Cotton crochet thread, repurposed lampshade frame, PLA baby head, plastic sheet. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Catherine Wheel #2 2025
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, PLA baby head, plastic sheet. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Fade to Black 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Coming Back 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, laser etched plexiglass. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Concentric Memory 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Quiet Interval 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Corolla 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, drum ring, acrylic. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Infinite Pinwheel 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, drum ring, acrylic. Crochet.
Shades of Home: All that Remains 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, drum ring, acrylic. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Crown of Thorns 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, drum ring, acrylic. Crochet.
Shades of Home: Chandelier # 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. 2026
Repurposed lampshade frames and crochet thread, drum ring, acrylic. Crochet.
Palimpsest Doily # 1,2,3,4,5,6,7. 2026
Alcohol ink on paper. Painting.
Palimpsest Doily Fragment # 1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9. 2026
Alcohol ink on paper. Painting.
Artist’s Statement
The meditative process of crochet serves as a counterpoint to a world increasingly comprised of planned obsolescence and instant gratification. Popular media promotes the illusion that meaningful skills can be acquired effortlessly, yet that is rarely true in reality.
By drawing from well-known crochet motifs and taking inspiration from adages and phrases plucked from social media, television, and books, my work straddles the line between tradition and popular culture. Presented outside their usual domestic context, these altered domestic objects become charged symbols rather than functional items, suggesting that the home is not only a site of comfort and belonging but also a place where difficult experiences and unspoken histories reside.
About the Artist
Ashley V. Blalock
Ashley V. Blalock was born and raised in San Diego, CA. She earned her MFA in Sculpture from the San Francisco Art Institute, an MA in Art History from the University of California, Riverside, and a BA in Painting and Printmaking from San Diego State University. She was a resident at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Wassaic Project, and Vermont Studio Center, and a visiting instructor at Arrowmont School of Arts and Crafts.
Her large-scale installation venues include the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History, Franconia Sculpture Park, Hunter Museum of American Art, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Nevada Museum of Art, Lux Art Institute, the Huntington Beach Art Center, Craft in America Center, and the Whatcom Museum. Her site-responsive installations have been placed in and around historic homes such as Edith Wharton’s home (The Mount), Highfield Hall, and the Heritage Museum and Gardens.
Ashley V. Blalock lives and works in San Diego.
Financial support is provided by the City of San Diego.
This activity is supported in part by the California Arts Council, a state agency.
