Cara Ashton
BA (Hons) Textiles in Practice
Flowers for Electric Sheep
I am a multidisciplinary designer and printmaker, specialising in a range of processes, including screen printing, hand dying, laser cutting and engraving. My work is quite conceptual drawing inspiration from social issues such as mass surveillance. The work I make is process driven, using bold motifs, considered colour palettes and repetition to tell stories. By experimenting with processes, I am able to capture the issues I look at, drawing attention to the core questions at hand.
My most recent project ‘Flowers for Electric Sheep’ utilises artificial intelligence to generate moodboards, reference images, and colour palettes. I then brought these AI-generated references into my work using hand printing techniques. Through this project, I explore the evolving relationship between artists and AI, questioning the boundaries of authorship and artistic expression. The exploration of AI in my practice stems from the recent advancements in technologies like DALL·E, which have sparked debates about the role of the artist when AI is involved in the creative process.
