Graham S. Ovenden
Ashly

1970
intaglio on paper
14 x 9.5 in.
1991.147

One of the few surviving works by Graham Ovenden, Ashly is a print of a prepubescent girl, half of her in shadow but staring at the artist, and thus viewer, with a smile. The subject confronts us head on but maybe less so the artist. Graham Ovenden’s private collection was destroyed in a 2015 after a court order. Many of his pieces had the subject of prepubescent girls.
While the print itself seems benign, the girl stares down the viewer from an even height, half in the shadow unable for us to look at. We have to question if it is problematic so our own complacency in the work continuing to exist and being held in our collection makes us complacent in the abuse.
What power do we hold in this situation? With the controversial background of the artist, does our view of the piece shift? What is our role with Ashly. Does she hold power over us or the opposite?

Grace Marusek ‘19
Lasting Legacy 2019