Cal Crawford

Utilizing video, sound, photo and sculpture, Cal Crawford sets formal pursuits to the jolts of grand metaphysical conundrums.  His art tests its theories through the manipulation of common signs of transcendence, forcing image, melody and object into anxious oscillations to promote a reticent atmosphere, hinting at feelings of paranoia and belief.  He is preoccupied by an “ease” in trusting image and melody as well as parallel impulses of throwing this trust out of joint with subtly injected shudders of perversion.  Utilizing and manipulating the properties of melody and the intensities of projected light, these properties are exploited so as to put their aggression into question while maintaining their emotive abilities. With all of this comes a steady suspicion of materials and objects, communicated as such by a constant thrust of nervousness verging on disavowed fear. The work strives for those moments when doubt can triumphantly hoist itself out of its equivocations and find a new form of protest.

BIOGRAPHY

1979 Born, San Diego, CA  (raised in New Brunswick, Canada)

Lives and works in Los Angeles, CA

EDUCATION

2007

MFA, Art Center College of Design, Pasadena, CA

2004

BFA, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

2000

Photography Diploma, NSCC, Halifax, Canada

SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2009

POSSIBILITIESOFFISTS, Sister, Los Angeles, CA

GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2009

Video Journeys, curated by Katie Brennan, Cottage Home, Los Angeles, CA

2008

HALF-LIFE, curated by Thomas Solomon, Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA

2007

Richard Telles Fine Art, Los Angeles, CA

START, curated by Christof Migone, Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery, Montrea, Canada

Jorge Pardo Juried Exhibition, Treehouse Gallery, Los Angeles, CA

PERFORMANCES

2008

Heaven, Silverlake Lounge, Los Angeles, CA

My Footnote to David Askevold, Outpost for Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, CA

2003

voltAA, Society for Art and Technology, Montreal, Canada

Mutek, Montreal, Canada

PRÉrien, Musée d'art Contemporain de Montréal, Montreal, Canada

PUBLISHED AUDIO WORKS

2004

Sitting on theories on the frontier on extension, CD, Squint fucker press, Montreal, Canada

2002

colorless in small amounts, 3" CDR, Throat, Oakland, CA

phonography.org 5, v/a CDR, and/OAR, Seattle, WA

AWARDS

2004

Jacob K. Javits Fellowship

Gabor Szilasi Prize in Studio Arts, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada

BIBLIOGRAPHY

2008

Migone, Christof. "START. STOP" Leonard & Bina Ellen Gallery, Montreal, Canada

2003

Lamarche, Bernard. “Closed Universe” Le Devior, 04/05/03

Couture, François. "sitting on theories..." All Music Guide, 6/13/03

de Waard, Frans. "colorless in small amounts" Vital Weekly, #371 week 20