Ashley Longshore is a self-made artist whose bold, colorful, and audacious multi-media paintings are thought-provoking and provocative. It is hard not to smile when looking at one of her pieces. “I feel as if the joy I get from painting comes through my work,” says Longshore.
Longshore was raised in Montgomery, Alabama. “I was an awkward and weird child – in the most wonderful way. I always knew I had a great force in me,” she says. Southern societal expectations were for her to meet a rich man and get married, have kids and own a beautiful house. Longshore, however, had other plans. “Raised as a sweet Southern woman, with manners and social constructs, has led me to be provocative in my work and to point a finger at some of the status quo and consumerism in society,” she says.
Longshore first picked up a paint brush at 18, while still in college. “That first day, I painted for six hours. I knew I had something that would give me great joy for all my life,” says Longshore. She is a self-taught and self-made artist who has paved her way in a field in which it is often difficult to find success. “I was never in a studio environment and that gave me the freedom to figure out on my own what works for me,” she says.
Longshore is a figurative painter – her work is characterized by bright color and bold brush strokes. “I love using lots of color. It makes me feel alive,” she says. “That too is a middle finger to having been raised in an environment where I was surrounded by beige and white.” She has often been described as a feminist Andy Warhol, a comparison she appreciates, “Being compared to someone who is not only a great artist, but a hell of a businessman is amazing,” she says. “That being said, Andy was Andy and I’m f-ing Ashley.”
Longshore doesn’t shy away from including images and language that sometimes make people uncomfortable – in fact, she embraces the defiance of norms. “It is incredible to me that my use of certain words would be something that would make a brand not want to work with me,” she says. Longshore makes no apologies for her work or what she stands for. “I want to surround myself with women who are confident and authentic and have the balls to continue to be exactly who are. That is the world I want to live and celebrate.”
In establishing herself as an artist and a businesswoman, Longshore turned her back on the traditional gallery relationship. “I don’t want to share with anyone. We’re talking about original artwork, not sofas,” she says. “I wanted to represent myself and show that artists can make it on their own.” This has allowed her the freedom she craves. “Women should be financially independent. If you make your own money, you can love who want, buy what you want, and help who you want. That, to me, is the American Dream,” she says.
Over the years, Longshore has collaborated with a variety of brands – everything from Maybelline to Porsche. “I take on collaborations where I can learn something and when I like the people I’m working with,” she says. All her collaborations have helped her get her name out there. “Bergdorf Goodman was a big moment in my life. I was the first female artist to have a solo exhibition there. It was pretty spectacular.”
Longshore is not one to slow down – in addition to her paintings and sculptures, she has published four books. Her most recent book, Giving the Bird: Bird Stories, is a collection of bird paintings that Longshore has painted and given colorful (and sometimes inappropriate!) human attributes. “I’ve never had a book where I release the entire art collection from the book all at once, so it’s a great collector opportunity,” says Longshore. “My gift to the world to give everyone the bird!”
Giving Back
Three years ago, Longshore established the Ashley Longshore Charitable Trust, a foundation that provides scholarships for talented, enthusiastic artists. Supporting the next generation of artists, especially female artists, is an important cause for Longshore. “I feel I need to help continue that energy of art in the community,” says Longshore.
To rising artists, Longshore offers some advice: “The only way you can fail is if you quit. Don’t think it’s going to be easy, but there are ways to make it as an artist. With social media and a little bit of innovation, you can create your own business.
What’s next for Longshore? She’s going to continue to respond to the world by creating her art. “I wake up and paint. A lot of things make me mad but the way I get even is, I make money. Then I can have a louder microphone, and I can inspire.” •
