April 13 – May 8
Reception: April 12, 2 – 4pm
Mixed media sculptor Landon Crowell of Kettering will exhibit his collection titled Constructed Landscapes. Crowell holds a BFA in Sculpture from Wright State University. He currently holds positions as Adjunct Sculpture Instructor and Gallery Technician at Wright State University.
Artist Statement:
I have spent most of my life fascinated by the natural environment, taking odd jobs such as construction and factory work so I could spend my summers as a mountain guide in Yosemite national park, or the wilds of New Mexico. My “Constructed Landscape” series stems from those odd jobs, places I would explore, and even the airplane rides over the countryside getting to my adventure destinations.
In my “constructed Landscapes” series, I am working with basic construction materials: driveway sealer, plywood, construction chalk, hose clamps, wood, and adding natural materials such as bee’s wax and branches. This body of work is a series of mixed media low reliefs, sculptures, and installations based off of the natural world. Some imagery comes from aerial views, map-making symbols, and the landscape itself. This work deals with such themes as memory, landscape, and the interaction we as humans have with the natural world. The work is meant to be stark and in some cases even feel un-finished. This is to create an inner tension between the art work and the viewer. The inner tension is meant to relate to the tension between human kind and the spaces we alter in the landscapes we occupy.
Artist Interview:
What is unique about your process and how does this define your practice?
I think my process is unique in that I am always pushing my materials in ways most people don’t think about. I use beeswax and driveway sealer together to create paintings and reliefs, and push the idea of basic construction materials slightly out of the world of construction and into ideas based off of landscapes. With very minimal alteration to the material itself, the materials come almost full circle. They come from the land and in a sense by turning them into landscapes, they return to a sense of their former state. I also am very conscience of the materials look and feel, I find the utmost beauty in that when I’m working.
I would say it defines my practice by having to be methodical, and sure of the direction I take with the materials, I Always keep in mind how the materials will shape or look when finished. I try to respect the material, and allow a symbiotic relationship to emerge between my direction and its inherent properties.
What influences your work or your creative process?
I would say the materials I use, my process and my love of the outdoors and the southwestern United States.
What lessons have you learned from other artists?
I would say one of the biggest lessons I have learned is that to let the materials speak on it’s own terms. If I have a piece of warped wood let that warp guide me, use the warp to my advantage, and make that warp a highlight of the work.