The son of an emancipated enslaved person, Steve Ashby grew up and settled in Delaplane, Virginia, in a former schoolhouse with his wife and adoptive son. A farm worker and gardener, he retired in 1950. Following the death of his wife in 1960, Ashby became fully committed to creation. His assemblages, which he called “fixing up,” were made from pieces of plywood and branches, to which he ingeniously attached found materials, such as logs, tools, hickory nuts, plastic toys, fabric, hair, and photographs (usually of faces) cut out of magazines. They all bespeak Ashby’s skill at conveying a range of complex expressions and simplifying convoluted ambiences. The intense vitality of his characters is rendered with outrageous humor, a direct approach, uncouth postures, and raw eroticism. His sculptures express a sophisticated sense of observation and reflect the unique experience of African American culture, summoning up the themes of domestic professions and working-class recreation with a critical eye. Over the years, large works came to occupy the front yard of his house—several of which are dressed in clothing and jewelry that had belonged to his wife.

Valérie Rousseau, exhibition label for Six Decades Collecting Self-Taught Art: Revealing a Diverse and Rich Artistic Narrative. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2019.