Ashley Landers
RECENT BIO
After graduating from Purdue University with a BA in Photography, and Anthropology, Ashley Landers returned to her hometown in order to become gainfully employed and address crippling student loan debt left by the Great Recession of 2008. After years in the tourism industry, COVID shifted her responsibilities to continue “seeking serotonin” and feel inspired enough to create again. After years of stagnancy, she struggled to make work that felt worthy of her time and interest.
“I felt like I was reaching out into a void, unable to grasp anything I wanted to do, create, or feel.”
She had no breakthroughs. She continued to push herself into camera work in hopes that eventually something would ‘click’. And it did. She junked her old ideas and portfolio and tried a new concept in adapting her love of nostalgia and decaying infrastructure into imagery.
Inspired by Stephen Shoes and William Eggleston, Landers uses found landscapes and exhaustively seeks cities that feel abandoned by people, support and maintenance. She uses innovative ways to capture the oblique, haunting feelings that these cities leave behind, hoping to bring thoughtful critique to our political, economic and social systems — pushing communities to engage thoughtfully.
Now, Landers is working on personal projects and exhibition opportunities.
After graduating from Purdue University with a BA in Photography, and Anthropology, Ashley Landers returned to her hometown in order to become gainfully employed and address crippling student loan debt left by the Great Recession of 2008. After years in the tourism industry, COVID shifted her responsibilities to continue “seeking serotonin” and feel inspired enough to create again. After years of stagnancy, she struggled to make work that felt worthy of her time and interest.
“I felt like I was reaching out into a void, unable to grasp anything I wanted to do, create, or feel.”
She had no breakthroughs. She continued to push herself into camera work in hopes that eventually something would ‘click’. And it did. She junked her old ideas and portfolio and tried a new concept in adapting her love of nostalgia and decaying infrastructure into imagery.
Inspired by Stephen Shoes and William Eggleston, Landers uses found landscapes and exhaustively seeks cities that feel abandoned by people, support and maintenance. She uses innovative ways to capture the oblique, haunting feelings that these cities leave behind, hoping to bring thoughtful critique to our political, economic and social systems — pushing communities to engage thoughtfully.
Now, Landers is working on personal projects and exhibition opportunities.
EDUCATION
Purdue University, 2012 - Photo & Media
Purdue University, 2012 - Anthropology
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2022 Dynamic: Shadow & Light Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Teaching Artist Philadelphia Arts in Education Partnership
LECTURES / WORKSHOPS
Purdue University Crash Course in Mobile Photography