Imagine painting on a live, moving dancer. Imagine creating a giant, phoenix-like masterpiece and lighting parts of it on fire. This is a day in the life of Ashley Voss, also known as Coreroc, yet it’s merely a fraction of his artwork.
Voss is a Columbus-based artist with many talents: graphics, photography, sculpting, storytelling, interior design and – probably his most known medium – graffiti. His work is internationally known and he has brought barren walls to life with graffiti for more than 25 years before it was cool, he says with a laugh. It’s easy to get swept away while observing his work, which typically features expressive stories, clean lines and bold colors.
“I’m often asked by a client – once we’ve hammered out a little bit of artistic freedom and a baseline design – ‘What colors are you going to use?’ and I say, ‘Well, all of them,’” Voss says, laughing. “A lot of people have discomfort in how colors can be next to each other and still be comfortable. I don’t have that fear at all.”
“I would camp and order pizzas to the pop-up tent and paint in the middle of the night.” - Ashley Voss, Coreroc
Voss says the sharp lines in his work are subconsciously inspired by Columbus – 90-degree angles and flat walls are practically everywhere in this urban setting. Before taking on art fulltime, Voss dabbled in electronics and worked with circuit boards. Even though Voss says the work was dull, the geometric boards also sparked the inspiration for his now sharp lines.
“It was kind of harnessing those day-to-day discomforts in a way that I could make art or something creative out of it,” Voss says.
Voss also has DJ experience, but those days are behind him. While he was out of town, his apartment flooded and only a few records were salvageable. He donated them to a close friend who is now a successful DJ. So, when asked if music inspires his work since hip-hop and graffiti have close ties, Voss has to stop and think.
“I mean, I would be a fool if I said I don’t often get caught dancing when I think I’m alone at a mural in the middle of the night,” he says. “Jamming out on the lift, making the lift shake. I’ve had a few cops walk up on me when I’m doing that.”
Although Voss creates a range of differently sized works, he loves large-scale pieces. He recalls recently painting a mural on the westside of Columbus that features a giant tree. Hina Environmental Solutions, LLC – a business that removes lead paint, mold spore or asbestos hazards – commissioned the mural. The focal points in the piece highlight those hazards in a green grass, blue sky environment using proper Fung Shui techniques.
The mural required long nights – probably filled with those solo dance sessions – since the mid-July heat made it too hot to paint during the day.
“I would camp and order pizzas to the pop-up tent and paint in the middle of the night,” he says. “That was one where I had a personal experience, a personal bond (because of those long nights).”
Voss isn’t known for showcasing work in galleries since most of it is for homeowners or viewable on the streets of Columbus. To witness the impactful message of the Hina mural, visit 995A Safin Rd.
Breaking the Stigma and the Rules
Graffiti is known for having a bad reputation as vandalism, but Voss is breaking that stigma by creating bold and beautiful street art.
“Originally, graffiti was this voice where you would get your name out, or this political idea, and it would be something the public could dwell on,” he says. “And in that, you would find the kind of people who were putting their names up everywhere. I’m not here to say that I didn’t do that, but there is an aesthetic value that you can add that is far greater than just practicing your signature.”
Sometimes, Voss doesn’t even tag or sign his work. On the contrary, he notes famous artists José Parla, who creates abstract murals by overlapping script, combining that classic signature look with aesthetic value.
One time-tested way to fire up a graffiti artist is to say graffiti isn’t art.
“I’ve gotten into forum debates and groups, made friends and lost friends, and all of that in respect to this conversation,” Voss says.
He understands that spray-painting a neighbor’s garage door is illegal, but says turning a blank, public wall into an original painting is not comparable.
And unlike canvas paintings or ceramics, public murals are more susceptible to destruction. Voss is used to his work not having longevity – especially since he creates live artwork that is washed off the person's body or burnt to a crisp on a canvas – and it gives him more comfort than anxiety.
“Decay is just something that I have respect for and appreciate about the process,” Voss says. “(When we did the phoenix painting that we set on fire), it was very interesting and symbolic, and you never could predict how the wood would warp or fold. It was just an idea that we had, and we rolled with it.”
Lydia Freudenberg is an editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.
