Aaseby Studios

Who I Am

Blake Aaseby, a San Francisco Bay Area artist, explores themes of memory, loss, and the understanding of place. Inspired by a nomadic suburban childhood he describes as, “a floating root system,” his work wrestles with the transient nature of belonging through the use of impasto oil, handmade carving tools, and layered mark-making.

Artist Statement:

My art explores the understanding of place and location, interweaving elements of mapping, memory, and storytelling through an interplay of drawn and painted planes, line, documented images, and layered shapes. My work seeks to capture the dynamic relationship between these elements, inviting viewers on a journey through both physical & psychological dimensions.

In my oil paintings, I aim to create memory maps oscillating between the fading past and the emerging present. These pieces feature site-specific underpaintings overlaid with thick layers of oil, revealed by intricately carved shapes that document and recall forms. This approach mirrors a landscape in constant flux and encourages viewers to engage with their own sense of place and their personal & collective histories.

Conversely, my textile-inspired drawings, explore the diverse types and stages of memory through pastel mark-making, rhythm, and pattern. These drawings, confined within a limited range of motion, act as maps, allowing the mind to wander. They function as catalysts for memory, encoding and storing various forms for both the artist and the viewer. In these works, the exchange between drawn, carved, and absent marks is crucial, allowing patterns to intertwine, construct, and deconstruct, mirroring the intricate process of memory & recollection.