Ashley Collins (American, b.1967) is an icon of American Contemporary painting, whose massive, scaled works are found in blue-chip collections and museums worldwide. Collins’s painful and lengthy journey, from homelessness and abject poverty to acclaimed painter, informs each of her deeply layered pieces. Collins is known, in part, for taking shows to a new level, such as floating large-scale canvases off of 50-foot cranes, and using fire, water, and other elements as part of her exhibitions. Although painting professionally since 1988, Collins first came to the attention of blue-chip collectors in the early 2000s for her large Contemporary works, integrating portions of figurative horseheads among layers of collage, historical documents, steel, metal, and other media. Her supporters include Robert Rauschenberg, who is also a major influence on her work.