Editorial Preferences in Art: Ashlee Cunningham

To me art must tell a story, whether it is a complex one or a simple one. Looking at a piece of artwork and having an emotional response means the artist did his or her job. One of my favorite leisurely activities is to go to an art museum with my dad and try to figure out the story behind what the artist is conveying through the piece. Whether we come up with serious stories or sometimes silly ones, everyone sees art differently and that is what I love about art: it speaks to us all in a different way.
I enjoy a variety of mediums when it comes to art, but the two I enjoy a little more are photographs and oil paintings. Photographs can take you back to a memory you long to relive and a gorgeous oil painting can make your wildest dreams take flight on a canvas.
There is a beauty to complex pieces of art as well as beauty in simplicity. Picasso said, “Everything you can imagine is real.” So create it- any way imaginable. Tell a story in the craft, complexity and simplicity of it all.

Bio:
Ashlee Cunningham is a sophomore at Arizona State University pursuing an undergraduate degree in Intermedia Art. She is the Art Editor for Superstition Review and has loved growing her knowledge of art. When she is not in class you can find her capturing life through the lens of her camera.

Ashlee Cunningham, Art Editor for Issue 19 of Superstition Review.
Ashlee Cunningham, Art Editor for Issue 19 of Superstition Review.
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4 thoughts on “Editorial Preferences in Art: Ashlee Cunningham

  • February 25, 2017 at 3:29 pm
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    This is precisely my philosophy when it comes to art! If a piece of art, no matter how technically impressive, doesn’t spark a person’s imagination, then it has failed. I have been laughed at for this, as if that puts too much onus on the consumer to make the piece work.

    In my opinion, in all forms of expressions (words, art, movies, games), if the consumer doesn’t engage themselves, then the piece is worthless.

  • February 26, 2017 at 1:57 pm
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    I definitely agree! I think art speaks to all of us differently, and that it’s important to engage with the audience in ways that are both simple and complex. We all go to art for different reasons, and art should be made for different reasons. I look forward to seeing your work as art editor!

  • February 26, 2017 at 11:09 pm
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    What you’re learning about visual art, I am learning about the art of writing. One of the most exciting aspects of appreciating art is exactly what you said: everyone has their own reaction to it. Art takes on a life of its’ own when it continues to inspire and affect people well after the last stroke has been brushed.

  • February 27, 2017 at 10:09 am
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    I think your approach to viewing art is beautiful. I’ve spent far too long trying to make art make sense to me, when that might not be the purpose of a piece at all. I’m a poet and struggled for a long time within poetry to have my pieces be technically factual and easy to understand, when the real purpose of poetry is to tell an emotional truth that might be removed from reality, and this absolutely translates to other forms of art, especially visual art. Obviously, I have a lot of thoughts on the subject, so thanks for provoking them!

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