A moment with Ash Sisson

Ash Sisson, AKA “Chimp”, a Wellington based artist and his work 'Moment' teases the idea of connection between people, of sparks, curiosity and intimacy.

Limited Label gin is a canvas. It’s a place for an artist to tell a story.

For Issue 01 we’re telling the story of natural attraction at first sight or butterflies when seeing someone you love. These feelings are communicated through eye contact, composition and accentuated abstract forms between the portraits. Chimp’s ‘Moment’ captures just that. A moment when two souls connect. The art lives in harmony with the medium; two faces mirroring each other through the glass, as though connecting through the gin itself.

“I see regret and longing, when two people who are right for each other cross paths but at the wrong time. It didn’t work and it’s no ones fault but our own, we both let it slip away when we knew we shouldn’t. Why did we find it so hard? Maybe it was the fear that it felt so right, it was frightening, so safe that it felt dangerous, to glimpse at how vulnerable we might become.”

art observer

The piece is inspired by surreal yet everyday experiences often shrouded in ambiguity or nostalgia – moments that make us human. As Chimp says, ‘I want to remind the audience of a moment in their life where they felt that unspoken connection.’

“Unsure of what I want, short term long term, tonight or tomorrow. I don’t even know who I am much less who you are.”

Art observer

A glance back over your shoulder only to see they’re doing the same. A look across a crowded room. A joke only you two laughed at. Butterflies, heat, secret smiles, tension, seeing and being seen. Attraction at first sight, sound, touch, scent. 

Taste.

“I see two fragmented humans finding each other. Recognizing the sameness in their individual parts.”

Art observer

In a recent exhibition in Christchurch, Chimp explores the way social media has affected our lives during the pandemic. Exploring the human condition is a frequent theme in his work.

The idea of the collision between art and gin just makes sense. Creating an evolution in art collecting and the mediums through which it can be enjoyed and encouraging more people to do so is the way we think art collecting will grow into the future. Giving artists a new platform to share their work, their story and to give artists a new platform for exposure and some funds to re-inject back into their craft.

“Disjointed. Broken glass. Sharp. Warm. Push and pull. Look but don’t touch. Dialectic. Present and lost at same time.”

Art observer

Check out more of Chimp’s work on www.chimpartist.com and follow his work on Instagram.