Doug Ashford’s soothing voice echoed across the abundantly filled lecture hall. His voice carried ideas of practicality mixed with the conceptual practices he uses in his every day art practice. He is a visual artist as well as a professor from New York, Ashford’s initial visual practice from was the collaborative practice of Group Material. This collaborative group sought to transform the production and presentation of contemporary culture by inventing new forms for the museum and the street to represent social understanding better. His work involves the production of paintings, writings, and collaborative work that deal with the social issues going on in the world. He discussed his work as being about public expression, ethics, and beauty.
