Part 21 of an interview series in which I invite artists to respond to six questions about art, process, and creativity (previous interviews: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20). The subject this time is painter Andrew Crane, whose work I've been enjoying via Google Plus for a while now. His paintings have echoes of the mark-making of Antoni Tapies, while still recognizably part of Andrew's own visual language. He lives in Northumberland, in the UK, which coincidentally is where I was born.
Philip Hartigan: What medium do you chiefly use, and why?
Andrew Crane: Mmmm…tricky question. I'm a bit gregarious when it comes to media, especially if there's a hardware store nearby. Right now I'm using varnish with step paint on hemp paper - last week it was tile cement on panel. I love to experiment with the 'untraditional' but oil paint and acrylics are never far from reach.
Philip Hartigan: What piece are you currently working on?
Andrew Crane: I'm working my way through 250 sheets of A3 hemp paper at the moment. These pieces can take a couple of days or less than an hour. The process is quite spontaneous but more than likely some numbers or letters will show up.
Philip Hartigan: What creative surprises are happening in the current work?
Andrew Crane: With this current series I've been learning to trust my intuition - it feels very expansive. Also, I'm embracing 'ugly' marks and keeping the 'darlings' to a minimum. As a result, the work feels more authentic - closer to the core. Perhaps this is old-age - a devil-may-care attitude. Whatever it is, it feels liberating!
Philip Hartigan: What other artistic medium (or non-artistic activity) feeds your creative process?
Andrew Crane: When I'm painting I find Gershwin and Bach equally sparky. J.S. Bach nurtures my love of mathematics and Gershwin, my romantic side. Sometimes I may have some spiritual discourse playing in the background. The Gospel of Thomas is a favourite. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not into religion - it's more a combined process of uncovering who or what I am. Or if, indeed, I am at all!
Philip Hartigan: What's the first ever piece of art you remember making?
Andrew Crane: My dad was very good at drawing - he would sit me on his knee and say 'What shall we draw?' Now, even at that age, I had an idea of what might be tricky. 'How about a donkey playing cricket?' Sure enough, he gave me a donkey, hitting a glorious cover drive. Drawing for me came harder. I struggled (still struggle) with representational drawing from memory but I remember during one family outing being quite pleased with my riverbank sketch: the trees were quite believable.
Philip Hartigan: Finally, and you can answer this in any way that's meaningful to you: why are you an artist?
Andrew Crane: I think 'I Am', therefore I'm an artist.
If you liked this interview, and you'd like to keep up to date with the series, why not Subscribe, or sign-up via Google Connect, using one of the options over on the right? Thanks, and keep creating.
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| 4e6 - Red step paint and graphite on hemp paper, 420 x 297mm |
Andrew Crane: Mmmm…tricky question. I'm a bit gregarious when it comes to media, especially if there's a hardware store nearby. Right now I'm using varnish with step paint on hemp paper - last week it was tile cement on panel. I love to experiment with the 'untraditional' but oil paint and acrylics are never far from reach.
Philip Hartigan: What piece are you currently working on?
Andrew Crane: I'm working my way through 250 sheets of A3 hemp paper at the moment. These pieces can take a couple of days or less than an hour. The process is quite spontaneous but more than likely some numbers or letters will show up.
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| Explaining the Tao - oil with varnish on hemp paper, 420 x 297 mm |
Andrew Crane: With this current series I've been learning to trust my intuition - it feels very expansive. Also, I'm embracing 'ugly' marks and keeping the 'darlings' to a minimum. As a result, the work feels more authentic - closer to the core. Perhaps this is old-age - a devil-may-care attitude. Whatever it is, it feels liberating!
Philip Hartigan: What other artistic medium (or non-artistic activity) feeds your creative process?
Andrew Crane: When I'm painting I find Gershwin and Bach equally sparky. J.S. Bach nurtures my love of mathematics and Gershwin, my romantic side. Sometimes I may have some spiritual discourse playing in the background. The Gospel of Thomas is a favourite. Don't get me wrong though, I'm not into religion - it's more a combined process of uncovering who or what I am. Or if, indeed, I am at all!
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| Manuscript - cement, varnish and house paint on canvas,122 x 183 cm |
Andrew Crane: My dad was very good at drawing - he would sit me on his knee and say 'What shall we draw?' Now, even at that age, I had an idea of what might be tricky. 'How about a donkey playing cricket?' Sure enough, he gave me a donkey, hitting a glorious cover drive. Drawing for me came harder. I struggled (still struggle) with representational drawing from memory but I remember during one family outing being quite pleased with my riverbank sketch: the trees were quite believable.
Philip Hartigan: Finally, and you can answer this in any way that's meaningful to you: why are you an artist?
Andrew Crane: I think 'I Am', therefore I'm an artist.
If you liked this interview, and you'd like to keep up to date with the series, why not Subscribe, or sign-up via Google Connect, using one of the options over on the right? Thanks, and keep creating.