Keys
©1989 Craig Ashby
18” x 24”
Copy Art

Keys is more large format copy art from the same era as Pressed. A little darker with dust filling in for stars. Maybe in some negative universe.

These were house keys for my childhood home. Maybe I knew that my parents were going to die shortly. I mean I dreamt about it regularly as a child.

When I was younger I would have these moments where I couldn’t go to sleep. Something would whisper to me. Sometimes I could make it out and other times it was pure gibberish.

Then the precognitive dreams would happen once I fell asleep. Dreams of the future as though it had already been written. I could remember each of these dreams upon waking.

I had a very similar experience as an adult in New York. A friend witnessed the entire event. I was sober and had just drank a pot of coffee.

It was early morning and both roommates were asleep. I was suffering from insomnia and had just finished drinking a whole pot of coffee.

The entire apartment filled up with this intense white light and I suddenly felt so sleepy. I lay down and began the most intense dream. I was with two figures who were almost wireframe models.

They showed me everything that was and would be. When I asked why it had to be that way they said because all of this had already happened and I was just living through it like a recording.

I asked if I could change the horrible outcomes and they said no. I woke up with a friend at my side. He had been awakened from sleep because I was talking so loudly while dreaming.