Ashton, Ken

Ken Ashton's photographs are mysterious depictions of urban landscapes. He often captures empty streets, alleys or vacant buildings, but even when he turns his attention to residential areas the setting is usually unpopulated, with a desolate, haunting quality. Photographs like Rosalyn #2 evoke feelings of unease and suspicion. The image centers on a swimming pool lined with a row of chairs, but the vantage point of the camera is high above, as if viewed from a neighboring building. Enhancing the impression of a clandestine viewing position, the scene is partially obscured by trees, out-of-focus in the foreground and middleground.

Ken Ashton was born in Fort Lewis, Washington. He earned his BFA at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Virginia in 1986. Ashton lives and works in Washington, DC.