The various types of images in Aschely Cone’s work are unified insofar as they all share a meditation on the idea of ground—as something that underpins or is beneath something else, something that we notice persisting in the face of, or even because of, change, something as simple as the ground we stand on, or something a bit more intangible like what grounds us metaphorically. Her current project, "The Ground Beneath the Ground", thinks about ground as earth or dirt. In these small panels the image is often situated within a low-relief, sculptural niche on the ground of the support itself. Images of the land are depicted—often images of volcanoes, or images gathered from a long-distance solo hike in Northern New Mexico. Her upcoming work will bring this meditation to the forests of Gabon, Africa.

Aschely Vaughan Cone (b. 1985, San Antonio, TX) received an MFA from the LeRoy E. Hoffberger School of Painting at the Maryland Institute College of Art (2016), an MA in Art History from Tulane University (2014) and BA in Liberal Arts from St. John’s College (2007), where she studied classics, philosophy and the history of math and science. Her awards include a matching scholarship for study at the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, the SMCM-MICA Artist House Teaching Fellowship, the Hamiltonian Fellowship and The Henry Walters Traveling Fellowship.

The book mentioned in the interview was The Peregrine by J.A. Baker.

We also discussed Gabon, learn more here with a free download.

The French Institute of Gabon was also mentioned, the likely location of her upcoming show.

The Ground Beneath the Ground (installation shot) All works 10"x8"x1" Oil on panel with hard gesso ground 2020-2022

Capulin Volcano, #6 10"x8"x1" Oil on panel with hard gesso ground, oil paint made from New Mexican dirt 2021