Cydney Camp, Ashley Marie and a New Scale

CYDNEY CAMP & ASHLEY MARIE

A note on scale and what shifts…

Melannie Chard
Apr 1, 2026

Photos by CJ Benninger

The last few weeks, I've been coming back to the idea of scale and thinking about how when it shifts, it changes what's possible.

As the Artsy women-led galleries campaign has come to an end, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to highlight the newest work of Ashley Marie and Cydney Camp.  I've spent time with both of their work recently and these two artists are in the midst of a shift that is becoming really visible through scale.  Below, we take a closer look at their earlier practice and newest paintings.

CYDNEY CAMP

La Mer

Cydney Camp's earlier paintings hold the figure close. The compositions are fairly contained and focus on moments that make you lean in and read the surface, forcing you to find the image as it emerges.  Even when referencing historical compositions, the figures can feel intimate and quietly held.  

(Left) Fever Dreams, 2022 | Oil paint, oil stick, mixed media on canvas, 30 × 24 inches
(Right) Thicket, 2022 | Oil paint, oil stick, and fabric on canvas, 60 × 48 inches

In her November 2025 exhibition Venus Undone, the relationship with the viewer changes.  Although smaller in scale, within these works the figures extend, limbs stretch and space opens. The environment as a whole begins to move with the body rather than sit behind it as floral elements, pattern and color intertwine.

(Left) Venus Anadyomene, 2025 | Oil and acrylic on canvas, 10 × 8 inches
(Right) Venus in Profile, 2025 | Oil and acrylic on canvas, 10 × 8 inches

In her recent painting La Mer, what was previously contained now feels fully released as the figures meet you outwardly.  There's a physicality to the painting where gesture and scale unfold, but we still see elements that make the work distinctly Camps.  Beautifully rendered feet, layered color, delicate lines and blended backgrounds push the boundaries of the earlier work into something new. The figures are suspended between rest and movement, emphasizing the physical and psychological weight of the body.  Shifting from the smaller works, the scale of La Mer doesn't invite you in as much as it demands you look at it.

CYDNEY CAMP | La Mer, 2026
Oil and acrylic paint, charcoal, oil stick on canvas, 60 × 48 inches

ASHLEY MARIE

Genesis

Ashley Marie's shift moves differently.

In the earlier works, the figure is embedded within the environment, partially obscured, emerging through layers of foliage and shadow. There's a sense of closeness and being held within the painting which makes the space feel dense and inward.

(Left) Letting Go, Holding On, 2023 | Oil on canvas, 40 × 30 inches
(Right) Gone but not Entirely, 2022 | Oil on canvas, 10 × 8 inches

Then the paintings start to operate less as images and more as environments.

Scale plays a different role where it doesn't just enlarge the figure but creates a space for entry. The viewer isn't looking at the work so much as through it. Allowing the compositions to open up psychologically and physically creating movement in the in-between.  

(Left) Quantum Entanglement, 2024 | Oil on canvas, 48 × 36 inches
(Right) Mind Place, 2025 | Oil on canvas, 40 × 30 inches

But as the work expands, so does the space it occupies.

In Genesis, Ashley has provided an image that is both immersive and atmospheric.

The longer you look, the more the leaves dissolve into something fluid and energetic. They don't sit still; they seem to radiate outward from the central point of light, caught in a current.  In this work, there is no longer a figure.  It has become something less fixed and no longer fully separate from the landscape. But it is clear we are entering a portal.

ASHLEY MARIE | Genesis, 2026
Oil on canvas, 82 × 63 inches

I think what is connecting for me with both of these artists is this moment where the work begins to ask for more space and in doing so, offers a different kind of experience in return.

More room, more atmosphere and more permission for the viewer to enter. 

If you've been following either of these artists the last few years you will appreciate the work they have been putting in to expand their practice and perspective.  You can learn more here.  I hope you enjoy!

ON VIEW

AUSTEN BRANTLEY
Burnt Offerings

Artist Talk:  April 11th 4 - 6 PM

Exhibition on view through April 11th

Gallery Hours:  Thurs - Sat 12 - 6 PM

UP NEXT

RICK VIAN
The Rapture of Understanding Nothing

Opening Reception:
Friday, April 17th | 6 - 9 PM

Thank you for reading!  We hope to see you soon!