Telluride Arts HQ Gallery in Telluride, Colorado is excited to present The Body Electric: Eli Craven.
Eli Craven works conceptually with photographic images by re-evaluating the physical and psychological potential of the picture through sculptural and digital interventions. The works exist somewhere between the image and object, attempting to connect the representation to some form of reality. He is interested in the ubiquitous and mundane imagery of family portraiture, self-help books, and instructional guides, which, upon close inspection, allude to a range of human fears and emotions. The research begins with the acts of looking and collecting then progresses to a critical investigation of the image and its relationship to ideologies of sexuality, desire, and death. Found images and illustrations from various instructional texts are collected and combined with my own photography and sculpture to develop an accumulated archive of sources. The materials are reconfigured through simple acts of censorship and distortion, potentially provoking the desire to see. The renewed compositions often act like a peephole, which diverts the viewer’s gaze, and focuses attention to otherwise overlooked details. Entire scenes are rendered incomplete without the viewer’s imagination filling the gaps and visualizing what lies beneath the surface of the photograph, or behind the veil.
Eli Craven (b. 1979) is an artist based in Lafayette, Indiana where he is an Assistant Professor of Photography at Purdue University. He holds an MFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC). Craven’s research resides in the critical investigation of the image and its relationship to ideologies of sexuality, desire, and death. Craven’s work is exhibited nationally and internationally. Most recently at Feinkunst Krüger Gallery in Hamburg, Germany and in the South Bend Museum of Art's 31st Biennial. His work has also been widely published. Select publications and clients include Philosophie Magazine, The Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Gestalten Publishing Berlin, Penguin Random House Barcelona, and The Paris National Opera.
To explore more of Craven’s work please visit his website www.elicraven.com
The Body Electric is a series of exhibitions for 2021 which highlight figurative art and light art—asking its viewers to meditate on the idea of humanity, embodiment, and our unique light.
The Art Walk opening receptions will be held on Thursday, August 5th, 5 - 8 pm at Telluride Arts HQ Gallery (135 W Pacific). The gallery is open most days from 12-6pm or by appointment.
