Melancholic girls find themselves in moments of quiet drama in the works of British artist Craww and San Francisco based (and Hi-Fructose co-founder) Annie Owens. Where Craww’s pieces feature heroines with an almost spiritual-like quality, Owens’ black and white watercolors and sketches enhance the mystery of her subjects. Both artists will present new works in side by side solo exhibitions opening on October 29th at Antler Gallery in Portland. Craww’s new series of paintings and drawings portray female figures accompanied by wild animals such as hares, birds and florals. Many of his works feature the symbol of a rose, which has too many meanings to list, but here has underlying religious tones. In one painting, roses decorate a girl dressed in dark robes and holding a beating red heart, characteristic of portraits of the lamenting Virgin Mary. There is an aspect of solace in his art that is matched by Annie Owens’ new works. She lights her watercolor paintings as if they were vintage photographs or film stills, giving them a film-noir vibe that adds melodrama. Here, we find her characters at odds with themselves in a remote world, riding their bicycles or sitting at the edge of an empty road that travels in two directions. Even a little black house, a recurring image in her work, floats over a cross roads and is destined to stay there until a decision is made. Take a look at more images from Annie Owens and Craww below, courtesy of the artists.
New works by Annie Owens & Craww exhibit at Antler Gallery in Portland from October 29th through November 23rd, 2015.
Craww:
Annie Owens:
Ed Merlin Murray's riveting drawings both enact and emulate motion. His movable creations, in particular, feel akin to the work of Terry Gilliam in his animation days. In his intricate line drawings, Murray offers entrancing and illusionary explorations of the human form.