Artist Spotlight: Ashton Ludden

Today we take a closer look at the work of artist and printmaker Ashton Ludden. In her work, she meditates on the relationship between humans and animals, focusing particularly on ethical treatment and the process of subordination. 

Here, Ludden discusses how the process of printmaking and her subject matter are perfectly paired: 

“I choose the medium of printmaking not only for its unique aesthetic qualities, such as the engraved line or a fine rosin aquatint, but also for its ability to create multiples. Disposables are deemed as such because accessible copies or substitutes exist as replacements. Just as printmakers must wrestle with the value of the multiple, so too do we confront this issue when dealing with animals regarded alternately as living commodities. Our egotism has us believe that we, members of the human race, are all unique beings, superior to objects and non-human animals. My work investigates how we determine and also justify what is considered a unique individual versus a disposable copy.”

"Slipper Snuggle" -- Engraving, etching and aquatint -- 2013