Heike Wollenweber talks to Edward Crowell II
Name:
Edward Crowell II
City:
Miami
Birthplace:
Montgomery, Alabama
Artistic Medium:
paintings , mixed media, sculpture
Why did you choose Miami and how do you feel about the art scene here?
I had a show slated for Art Basel Miami Beach in 2010, and after a 10 year bout with heroin and being clean and sober, I felt like I wanted to move to Miami, paint there, and be in a different environment and move forward in my art. I think the art scene is amazing here. After I saw Wynwood I was really really inspired to move and stay in Miami. It’s amazing. You can see so many famous international artists’ work as well the local Miami artists’ work who I have come to enjoy just as much.
Does Miami inspire you in your art?
Absolutely, of course it does. I currently live on the Beach and I can walk out of my door, go buy a fruit juice at the store and within six minutes I see six different nationalities zooming right past me. The international aspect, in such a small radius makes me smile haphazardly. Also the tropical island life aspect enables me to really relax and take my time within my conceptual ideas. I also dig the Latin culture, it’s definitely an influence. I’ve always been into Latin jazz, since I was a child, and to explore that in a synesthesia based way is really enjoyable.
What is your medium?
For my paintings I use oil, acrylic, enamel, wax and oil stick with many different application methods on canvas, linen, panel, and metal. For my conceptual projects, I paint on panel and get neon sculpted on certain areas of the painting. I also do conceptual sculpture projects. I have a production company that implements my concepts the same way Jeff Coons does his concepts.
How would you describe your art?
My current and past themes are honest romantic ramblings, herd mentality, hedonism mechanics, cultural acceptance, and absolute freedom. The romantic ramblings are more raves than rants. They exhibit the most beautiful of experiences in the context of my relationships with women. Herd mentality and hedonism mechanics kind of play into each other, alongside culture acceptance and absolute freedom, and the way that I truthfully try to exist by way of not denying any of my desires, as I feel by doing this, nature has a blissful intended path as long as I’m honest with my true self. So this is basically a sociological experiment with me and my audience. All of these themes come out within my paintings, and my conceptual projects. I draw from the neo-abstract expressionist and situationist movements.
Tell us more about your other paintings and your most recent work please?
As far as my other works, I have a series called “Falling Out Of Line” which is repetitive animals in a grid like manner that look like they're in line. And yet the allure is found in the imperfection because it’s done by hand, which is indicative of the beauty of human imperfection. There is a chaotic circular form encapsulating each animal that represents the individualistic experience of each entity, no matter how much they desire to be amongst the herd. I also did a series of pop art that was dealing with the subjugated female of the 40s, 50s and 60s. I chose to put tribal warpaint under the eyes, symbolizing the beginning of a beautiful struggle that needed to take place within popular media regarding woman and her identity as far as absolute freedom was concerned. My most recent work is still dealing with these themes but with a bigger production budget that will enable me to be more three-dimensional by way of installation, light sculpture, and painting.
What do you have planned for the rest of the year?
I have interesting plans for this year. Art Basel Miami Beach 2012 of course. I am speaking with several galleries about representation in Austria, New York, China, and England which is an absolute blessing. The most fun thing I have planned is another sociological experiment that will entail me approaching brands which claim they are artistically sound, asking them to do certain things to prove themselves, and documenting the various communications that will take place, that’s all I can divulge at this time, but you’ll be the first to know.
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