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On the Grid
Ashley Anderson’s art inspired by video games, pop culture
By Isadora Pennington
He might be the nicest artist in Atlanta.
Ashley Anderson, with his bushy beard and
warm, inviting personality, has been one
of the city’s most prolific and multifaceted
artists since he moved here nearly 14 years
ago.
His works span a number of mediums,
including illustration, watercolors, acrylics,
screen printing, graphic design, murals, 3D
works, cyanotypes, and even a mug series he
calls ‘Death Metal Santas’ that he produces
around the holidays. Central threads that
unite his varied artworks are an affinity for
Walmart for Nintendo, so I kind of went
crazy that following year,” explained
Anderson. “I was downloading tons of
games and playing them but also thinking
about art history and philosophy in my
classes and it started to all swim together.
I started to see how you could use these
images to talk about things that had
nothing to do with videogames but would
be attractive and accessible.”
One example of this correlation
between fine arts, pop culture, and
videogames is his Marilyn Monroe series.
The pieces which he rendered using his
grid system came into the public eye even
videogames, pop culture
icons, movies, a robust
sense of humor, and a
deep fascination with art
history and philosophy.
These days, Anderson
frequently participates in
artist markets in addition
to online sales via social
media, graphic design
work for clients, and the
occasional gallery show.
One of Anderson’s most
iconic styles is what he
calls “pixel work.” These
pieces are frequently
interpretations of classic
subject matter such
as still lifes of flowers,
bowls, vases, as well as
recognizable faces from
pop culture. He renders
these images using a grid system and
carefully chosen color palettes into pieces
that are reminiscent of 80s videogame
graphics. In contrast to the loud, sometimes
chaotic, and always moving nature of
these games, his paintings are quiet and
contemplative both in creation and
observation.
“Growing up in Sandersville we didn’t
have a lot of options to buy at the local
more when the High Museum of Art
purchased three of his pieces in 2014,
displaying them prominently just off the
lobby during the special Andy Warhol
exhibition in 2017. As Anderson explains
it, the works, which he calls Shinobi
Marilyn, are a play on Andy Warhol’s
portraits of Marilyn Monroe styled as if
they were created for a SEGA game.
Anderson has also recently been
churning out a number of bumper stickers
and shirts that are both screen printed
and hand drawn. They often feature a
recognizable character such as Garfield or
Charlie Brown which have been modified,
and in his word, “recycled,” to present a
different and humorous message.
“Jokes,” said Anderson when asked
how he chooses his subject matter. “If
something’s funny I’m more likely to do it.”
Often these images go viral and his designs
have been picked up by fans from near
and far. A design he created of E.T. giving
the finger ended up being reproduced as
a painting on a port-a-potty, and his 3D
pixel gun idea was remade and produced
en masse both locally and as far away as
Mexico. While sometimes the stealing gets
to him, he remains mostly unbothered.
“As long as they are clever or funny, I
am totally cool with it,” says Anderson.
“There’s recycling, and it’s a joke. But I also
understand where I fall in the chain of the
life of an image.”
The dining room of Anderson’s
Cabbagetown home that he shares with a
roommate has been nearly consumed by
artwork, tools, and supplies. On the table
is a screen print press set up
to create his newest design
of a UFO with the letters
ATL on it. Nearby, signs and
prints lean against a shelf that
is stacked with Santa mugs,
books, paints, and brushes.
An assortment of sketchbooks
on the kitchen are filled with
his doodles dating back to
middle school.
Art is Anderson’s life, and
it pervades every aspect of his
existence. From sketches of
people he sees on MARTA to
a series of literally hundreds
of Coke cups he doodled
on during his time working
at Fellini’s Pizza on Ponce,
he is constantly creating art.
He even let me in on a little
secret project that he is doing
for reasons yet unknown
to him: crafting miniature
bones out of tin foil wrappers
from burritos that he orders
at restaurants. He has boxes
full of them, and he’s not sure
how, if ever, he will display
them. These bones are just
another creative pursuit,
another hobby, another
manifestation of his love of
creation.
Whether it’s for pay or
for pleasure, Anderson takes
joy in making artwork and
has no plans of stopping.
“To some extent I believe
that if you get an idea, it’s
your responsibility to do
something with it — to realize
it. You never know what it
is that you’re going to make that’s going to
resonate with people. So, to some degree
that frees you to do whatever you want to
do, and it’s always more attractive innately if
you’re having an authentic reaction.” 03
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AUGUST 2021 | INT0WN 45