Ashley Teamer

My work is a manifestation of black female liberation. I transform WNBA players into super heroes searching abstract space for a new home that recognizes their greatness, skill, and perseverance. These women finally able to liberate themselves from the heteronormative hierarchy of Earth, are embracing their future while destroying their past. I view the complicated consciousness of my African-American existence through this landscape. Narratives by John Akomfrah and Octavia Butler have inspired me to create a world shaped by black excellence and freedom through collage, printmaking, painting, and stop-motion animation. I use animation as a 4th dimension in my work to activate the still images. These videos transform physical rectangles into portals to my alternate reality. The WNBA cards depict decisive moments. In these images players are stretching their limbs and their gaze towards the basket, the goal. My grandmother was the Women’s Basketball Coach at Dillard University. Her presence would inspire adults and children alike to sit up a little straighter. She implored her players to hold themselves to a higher standard on and off the court. She told them that these skills would reach beyond their time on her team. Through the language of this game I ask myself and the crowd: “What are you reaching for?”