Ashley Gillanders

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Ashley Gillanders, “Mirror with a Memory,” 2019, installation image (courtesy of the artist)

Artists whose work revolves around contemporary social conditions often reflect on what is real and what is imagined, and how news coverage and social media, with their drive for immediacy, influence the ways we understand the world. 

Winnipeg-born artist Ashley Gillanders, now based in Chicago, explores the perception of truth within imagery with cerebral photographic works. Since graduating recently from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, she has had shows in Chicago and France. Now, her work is on view until Feb. 21 at Winnipeg’s Platform Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts.

Gillanders considers how we perceive space and time, relying, as the gallery explains, on “exploring the physical distance between seemingly similar objects to render spatial complexities and uncanny experiences that blur the lines between spaces of origin.” 

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Ashley Gillanders, “Mirror with a Memory,” 2019, installation image (courtesy of the artist)

Using mirrors and theatrics as her foundation, she takes viewers on a silent journey through visual fields that, at times, feel like David Lynch sets. It’s clear she wants to tease us and prompt questions about what we perceive as real. 

There’s a luxurious quality to Gillanders' work, whether intended or not. She swathes viewers in plush comfort. For instance, in her series, Views from the Apron, soft velvet drapes in sweet pastel colours are framed by yet more velvet. Everything feels like it’s trying to hide or reveal something viewers are not privy to – an approach that acts as a loaded metaphor for both making art and viewing it. 

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Ashley Gillanders, “Mirror with a Memory,” 2019, installation image (courtesy of the artist)

In a small side room, a dramatically lit miniature three-tiered grey stand holds dollhouse-sized objects that feel both familiar and foreign. The show also includes small mirrored works that confront viewers with reflections not their own. For example, mirrored boxes reflect each other or a bathroom mirror stares out at the banal architecture of a room. 

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Ashley Gillanders, “Mirror with a Memory,” 2019, installation image (courtesy of the artist)

The show’s title, A Mirror with a Memory, suggests much thought has been put into the history of reflection. It is, admittedly, unsettling to walk around the show. Gillanders blocks us from seeing what’s behind velvet curtains or in polished mirrors – creating a simultaneous sense of mystery and familiarity. 

Ultimately, her work is a psychological exploration of contemporary déjà vu that may leave  more questions than answers. Perhaps that’s exactly what she wants. ■

Ashley Gillanders: A Mirror with a Memory is on view at the Platform Centre for Photographic and Digital Arts in Winnipeg from Jan. 10 to Feb. 21, 2020.

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