Ashley Hold

Ashley Hold graduated with a BA Hons in Fine Art from Falmouth School of Art in 1989. In 1998 he founded and co-organised of Open Studios (SW) until 2003. In 2008 he completed a Masters Degree in Twentieth Century Art and Design: Histories and Theories at University College Falmouth where he is currently a part-time lecturer.

Ashley has exhibited in the BP Portrait Award at the National Portrait Gallery, The Hunting Arts Prizes at the RCA, The Discerning Eye, and The Royal Society of Portrait Painters at the Mall Galleries. Accolades include prizes from the Mall Gallery and The Hunting Art Prize.

'Most of my work is the result of working directly from observation, continually revising and re-working the image in attempting to resolve the tension between my commitment to visual fact and my concern for pictorial structure.'

The nocturnal landscape is a favourite subject and this has developed into his Nightview series.

'Nightview is part of a series depicting the view from my room at night with the landscape about to be enveloped by darkness, overlaid by the fragmented and insubstantial double-reflections of my self and the interior of my room on the double-glazed window. The size of the painting Nightview is the same as the image on the glass of the window thus creating a direct relationship between the viewer and the illusionistic space of the painting. The figure in Nightview can be seen as part of the landscape, looking in towards the viewer or, separated from the landscape by the window and looking out; therefore the figure can be seen as looking both inwards and outwards simultaneously. This, for me, is a metaphor for act of painting.'

Ashley is also interested in the human figure and has completed many portrait commissions for clients including the Freemasons and Marjon College, Plymouth.

Influences include Dutch and Flemish painting, Caspar David Friedrich, Christian Kobke, Garcia Lopez, Lucien Freud and the writings of Alan Watts. Interests include playing classical piano, long distance hiking and cycle touring, mountaineering, rock climbing, swimming and diving.

Website: ashleyhold-artist.info

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