Augusta M. Asberry’s
love of art was evident
when as a student at
Sacred Heart Grammar
School in Lake Charles,
L.A., she would draw
pictures during class
instead of completing
her assignments. Her
earliest influences
began in the ‘thirties
with first grade readers,
children’s books, paper
dolls, and magazine
illustrations. In high
school, the source of
influence shifted to her
high school teachers,
and all of the books she
could get her hands on;
and in college she fell
under the spell of
artists Paul Klee, Monet
and Miró.
Augusta began college
at San Francisco Junior
College in 1949. She
later attended San
Francisco State, but
left to get married and
raise her family. In the
early fifties she
attended nursing school,
and subsequently worked
as a nurse for 38 years.
In the 'sixties, Augusta
returned to college at
Peralta College in
Oakland, CA, where she
took classes in fashion
design, fashion
illustration and basic
design. She began her
professional career as a
landscape painter in
1971. She later moved to
Bremerton, WA with her
family, where she began
creating an historical
documentation of old
houses and farms in
pastels. This mode of
expression continued
until 1992 when she
created her first
African Dancers.
The artist has this
to say about her
Dancers: "When I created
my first Dancers they
were patterned after the
crude figures found on
the rocks and cave walls
of Africa. My own
animated style has
evolved but it is still
inspired by the spirits
of the Ancestral
Artists.
The Dancers are
clothed in my original
fabric and costume
designs. Ten years ago I
began an on-going
independent study of
African fabrics and
designs and how they
related to celebrations
of the African rituals
and dance. As a result
of this study my Dancers
have taken on a life of
their own but they do
not stray far from the
basic concepts of
African Art and Design.
My favorite concept
is ‘the arrangement of
elements’. The
non-uniform variation of
traditional designs
remains off balance, yet
it is pleasing. Their
method of staggering
motifs on cloth, and the
juxtaposition of color
and line can be compared
to the offbeat phrasing
in music and dance. I
use this ‘off-beat’
concept in my paintings
by not establishing a
focal point. This is
like my Ancestor would
say ‘hearing a beat that
is never sounded.’ An
illusion of motion is
created as your eye
travels from one point
to another seeking that
elusive focal point.
Just as an individual
personalizes his or her
garment to distinguish
it from others, so does
the African Artist who
creates the cloth.
Variations in
traditional design give
each piece a singular
character and make it
personal to the one who
produces it.
It is my hope that
the spirits of the
Ancestors will walk with
me as I showcase my own
'off-beat’ cloth."
Augusta’s studio is
home-based, and her work
schedule is arranged
just like a job away
from home. A very
disciplined artist, she
creates 8 hours a day,
with time off for lunch
and breaks. She arises
at 5:30 AM for an hour
and a half of
researching and
planning.
Augusta M. Asberry’s
work appears in the
following collections:
Roslyn Woodhouse of the
Urban League, Harborview
Medical Center Cultural
Collection, Seattle, WA;
Kitsap Regional Library,
Bremerton, WA; YWCA,
Bremerton, WA; West Park
Community Center,
Bremerton, WA; OB GYN
Clinic, Port Orchard,
WA; Leanin’ Tree Art
Museum, Boulder, CO;
Healthsouth Surgery
Center, Bremerton, WA;
11 x 10’ metal terrace
enclosure (A Woman’s
Mark) for CADA project.
Augusta has been told
that her work is a
"mood-lifter". Her
viewers say they enjoy
her work for it’s
simplicity and lack of
hidden messages. They
see the Dancers in their
bright, beautiful colors
and want to join the
dance. "My paintings
constantly dance around
in my head; they even
wake me at 4:00 AM. They
are all but finished in
my head before they hit
the paper. What I like
about creating art is
that I get to do what no
one else can do. I alone
get to interpret my
ideas, visions and
dreams and then present
them on paper. To me
this is the ultimate
rush."
