My review of John graham at the parrish art museum in Water Mill, NY
A scholarly show more typical those found at the Metropolitan Museum of Art than one at a regional museum.
ArtBookGuy
James Croak: Earth Works
"James Croak is a great sculptor who often works with dirt or earth. You can clearly see the material in his work which is dark, poignant and inventive. I wanted to find out what inspired him to create and he told me that and much more. Here’s our cool chat …"
Know This
My essay on battery density, the achilles heel of the migration from fossil fuels to solar energy, was published in a new book by Edge.org. Included along with me are essays by Jared Diamond, Steven Pinker, Carlo Rovelli and others.
James Croak Whitney Biennial review
Political works are always part of the artscape but rarely have a desired effect, with a few notable exceptions. Hans Haacke’s famous works detailing the interplay between museums and corporations culminated in his attempt to exhibit photos of slums owned by Harry Shapolsky et al at the Guggenheim museum. His show was canceled and the curator put on the street, resulting in a boycott of the museum by other artists.
James Croak reviews Tripoli Gallery's "Black and White" for Hamptons Art Hub.
"Artists in the two primary Western art centers activate their work with idea; they tend to paint, sculpt or film with grey tones. Artists outside of these metropoli reach for the rainbow. If you see a color riot thrown on by Earl Scheib with a leaf blower, it was likely done in the boonies.
Color is for separation, not activation. Or as Tripoli Patterson of Tripoli Gallery in Southampton puts it: 'color will not aid or inform.'"
James Croak, Tucson II, 2013
The Photography of Place
Curated by Ray Merritt, the exhibit is at the Palm Beach Photographic Center until May 6, 2017. Featuring 22 international artists ranging from known photographers like Robert Frank to James Croak, one of the accomplished artists not known for their photographs. Croak is renowned for his dirt and resin sculptures, however, these photos from his series of landscapes at night, The Other Twelve Hours, are being exhibited for the first time.
In Sandra Schulman’s article on the exhibit at WPB Magazine, Croak talks of his photographs “…the desert is such a physical presence that it becomes an escape from my own psychology of being cynical. I use no flash and no Photoshop, the wonder is what you are going to get in these pictures as you just don’t know what you’re going to accidentally capture.” Additional coverage includes SouthFlorida and Broadway World.
Other News
Check out the newly redesigned site – jamescroak.com – featuring additional images from The Other Twelve Hours, new sculptures, and a “Recent Events” section with links to articles, upcoming exhibits and more.
In March, 2017, Croak reviewed The Armory Show and The Whitney Biennial for Hamptons Art Hub. He also wrote a piece on battery density for Know This: Today’s Most Interesting and Important Scientific Ideas, Discoveries, and Developments. Not exactly art related, but a good read.
Review of "Photography of Place" by Sandra Schulman
My work along with fellow artists April Gornik and Robert Frank was discussed by Sandra Schulman for West Palm Beach Magazine.