Ash Hayner
In March of 2023 Ash (Wolfdog) Hayner took a few moments out from his busy schedule to answer a few questions for the Atlanta Street Art Map:
Please summarize a few high points of your journey from being a creative child here in Atlanta to being a creative adult here in Atlanta.
There have been so many “pinch-myself” moments over the past decade or so for me! I think my first mural in the old EyeDrum gallery hosted by Living Walls was huge — I was freshly 18 and the idea of painting large-scale was also super new to me. Being a producer of OuterSpace project has also been big for me over the years — getting to meet artists from all over the world and build relationships with them has always been a big inspiration to me.
I have read that you were interested in technology even as a young boy. How does technology influence your art?
I started doing graphic and web design when I was super young, so I have kind of always worked in “layers” and had to problem-solve ways of displaying things. Now I start all of my work digitally, generally in Illustrator to scale, so I know exactly the order in which I will physically install the work when the time comes. A big goal of my art is for it to be hand-painted, but look as clean and “digital” as possible.
What is Mark Making and how does it contribute to your work?
Mark Making for me can generally be defined as different textures created using different tools within my artwork. I love the idea of having super clean almost digital-looking shapes next to organic textures that you can only achieve with sprays or inks. Over the years I have figured out how to make a lot of interesting patterns and textures using things that you can find at any Home Depot — which helps a lot when I’m traveling for installations.
What made you gravitate towards abstraction instead of realism?
I have always liked abstract work with clean lines, especially abstract work that almost has a digital look to it. When I first started figuring out how to shift focus from creating all digital work, to creating more physical work, abstract was just my natural progression.
How does your design background influence your artwork?
From Illustration to 3d modeling, I have always really appreciated how simply using color and balance of composition can really tell a story and invoke feeling. My brain kind of naturally works in shapes from how long I’ve been using them! It’s always a fun challenge for me to design something and then figure out how to execute it on canvas or a wall.
Your work has been described as “minimal and complex”. How do you navigate that dichotomy?
I think balance is key in my work. I like to incorporate a lot of textures and optical illusions but display them in an organized, clean way. I love the idea of creating order out of chaos and figuring out how to make messy shapes and textures look neat and tidy. I’m pretty OCD in my day-to-day life — so it’s definitely an extension of that.
Has art ever helped you to get through a difficult time?
Absolutely! I didn’t really start taking artwork “seriously” until I got out of rehab like 5 years ago. I was in a position where I really had to figure out what I wanted to do with my time, and what mattered to me. I had always been around artwork but never really given myself the chance to make anything happen. Since then I have always used my studio time as almost a meditative practice. Whether I listen to a podcast or sit with my thoughts, I spend a lot of time in my studio alone, and I have grown to appreciate that so much as my own time.
Anything else that you would like the readers to know?
Just a big thank you for the support over the years, and especially over the last few! I have tried to keep my head down and just keep making work as much as possible, and to be honest, I feel like I’m just now getting started. I’m excited to share myself with people in the future.
Link to Ash Hayner’s website: http://www.wolfdoglives.com/Back