Today we’d like to introduce you to Adam Crowley
Hi Adam, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born and raised in Kansas City, MO. I’ve always drawn, since I was a little kid. My family has always been working class, but they have always been very supportive of my artistic interest, so I was always encouraged to pursue it. I think kind of trust and encouragement is extremely important to a anyone, but especially someone whose immediate background was not in the arts.
I took a pretty standard avenue after high school and went to Central Missouri State University. Honestly, I wish I would have paid more attention, or had more focus in college. as I’m sure is the case with many people, being young and having your first taste of independence proved too alluring. I graduated with good grades, but I think if I would’ve had more fore-thought, I could have gotten more out of my time there.
After college I went through a long stretch of not making art which was mostly due to some habits that were becoming more and more problematic. When I entered my 30’s I had a conversation with myself about where I wanted my life to go, and whether or not painting was involved in that life. I had gotten into, and then out of, a particularly stormy relationship, had moved out of state, and then returned a year later. I felt like my life was at a point where I could really make a hard turn. I decided to change some of my personal habits, and put a real effort into painting. This process took several years, but with the help of my wife, and the arrival of our daughter, I’ve found a steady, daily painting practice that has helped my work immensely.
Right now I still have a day job and am focused on making paintings and applying to shows. I paint for 2 hours every morning, and then go to work and apply for shows/residencies/do interviews/ etc… on my lunch hour or in the evenings when I get home. So I definitely still have goals I’m aiming for (painting full time, more exhibitions. etc…) but through my continued daily practice I can feel those goals becoming more within reach.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I’m not sure there’s any such thing as a smooth road. Painting in itself is difficult to do well, and applying for shows, trying to get your name out there, along with all of life’s speedbumps, it can be a frustrating pursuit. But painting, and art at large, also has the ability for extreme reward when pursued whole heartedly. The feeling of looking at a new painting and thinking “This is a god painting” is a uniquely rewarding experience, and not one that happens all that often. And honestly, the pursuit of a life with art, or a life that strives toward the deeper knowledge of the world, is one that I would recommend to everyone that will listen to me.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a painter. I work in oil and tempera, with some drawing thrown in from time to time. My paintings are all rooted in the world. They all have an element of the “known” in them; by this I mean they all possess imagery that is recognizable. These imagistic elements are either set within a larger, less discernable plane or they are juxtaposed with other images that are extremely similar, with only small details making up the difference.
My painting technique is pretty traditional. I like the continuation of these time honored steps while we stand at the threshold of a world bent on hyper-progress.
I think I am most proud of the shows I’ve been able to have my work shown in, and the interviews I’ve been lucky enough to give. My paintings are generally rather quiet affairs, but I am always interested in dialog, especially when it relates to paintings future or the necessity of art. And I think the more I can be a part of the contemporary discussion, the more my work will be seen.
What was your favorite childhood memory?
We would go on family vacations every year when I was young. Being from the Midwest, where there isn’t a lot of grandeur in the landscape, going to the mountains, or the ocean, or the desert, was always an eye opening experience. It gave me a sense of the hum of the world. A sense that the earth has always changed, and will continue to change, and that we are a pretty small part of that. A sense of beauty and awe in a world where those emotions are becoming rarer.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/adam_m_crowley
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/adam.crowley.9678
