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Contact
5507 Belva Street
Lanham MD 20706
USA
Phone: 00 + 1* 301-306-1451
Fax: 00 + 1* 301-306-1451 |
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Artist Statement
I am a published
horror /science-fiction writer as well as an illustrator.
As an artist, I define myself as someone who is mostly
self-taught. I studied art briefly at the Corcoran School of Art
in Washington, DC, and took a few courses, here and there while
in college. But due to my other interest, writing, I decided to
pursue a degree in journalism and the media arts.
My exhibition, “Politics and Paganism” is a collection of six
drawings and illustrations. I chose this theme in order to
explore how women in society are often portrayed as lacking
personalities of their own. We are often objectified, but we are
also known to possess a sort of “secret wisdom” or knowledge
that goes beyond that of the more obvious patriarchal society of
the West. But this is not “man-hating” art…far from it. But it
is my portrayal of how I feel women have often been “seen” in
society.
The three “Medusa” drawings were drawn in color pencil over 10
years ago, but have never been shown publicly. They portray a
headless woman of gigantic proportions.
She is also portrayed in an almost stereotypical fashion: naked
and wearing thigh-high boots. She has smaller, more subtle
objects projecting from the “snakes” of her headless body:
syringes and guns. But she is also there as a sort of “warning”
to society in general. But the businessmen below her do not even
notice her despite her size and grotesque appearance. They (the
businessmen) are symbols of a society that is often “blind” to
what is really going on within it: crime, drugs, prostitution,
and despair.
These problems of our society affect everyone and both genders
equally.
Awards
1983: Chosen to attend National Annual
Journalism Conference; awarded 1st Place in “Talent Search for
Young Black Writers”; received journalism class award from the
Lemuel Penn Communications Center, Washington, DC; honored with an
RF Kennedy Journalism Award; 1991: Certificate of Appreciation, US
Department of Labor;
1990: Certificate of Appreciation, US Department of Labor.
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16.
Neon-Queen
digital
graphic
2001
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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17.
Padded-Cel
digital
graphic
2003
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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18.
Sea-Krate
digital
graphic
2002
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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19.
Self-Portrait
ddigital
graphic
2002
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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20.
Stakehouse
digital
graphic
2002
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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21.
Stewart
digital
graphic
2002
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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22.
Stewart's-Nightmare
digital
graphic
2003
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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23.
stewart's-suicide
igital
graphic
2003
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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24.
stewart-inverted
digital
graphic
2003
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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25.
The-Arachne-Experimen
digital
graphic
2003
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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26.
The-Wicker-Ma
digital
graphic
2002
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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27.
Witchburn
digital
graphic
2001
US$ 2490 €uro
1980
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The other pieces in this collection were drawn more recently in
2001 and 2002. These are further explorations of how I have
sometimes seen myself in relation to society: a “persecuted”
witch in “Witchburn;” a figure of pagan ritual in “The Wickerman;”
and finally, a lone figure on a far away planet (where my mind
often likes to travel!) in the form of a “tree” goddess in “Life
On Mars 2.” These later drawings are mixed media: a combination
of pen & ink, color pencil, and digital media. To me, the
computer screen is just another type of canvas, or a blank sheet
of paper for me to use in my work. I am a child of the Space
Age, so technology will always be an influence on how I
establish and focus my creativity.
My website features a virtual gallery and is a collection of my
mixed media drawings and digital art. At this stage of my career,
I work primarily with pen & ink and Photoshop. I may return to
my earlier medium of color pencil at some point, but for now I
am enjoying the greater flexibility pen & ink and Photoshop have
allowed me.
I am greatly influenced by the early twentieth-century
surrealist artists René Magritte, Salvador Dalí, and Max Ernst.
I am also a major fan of the German Northern Renaissance artist,
Albrecht Dürer, and although I am by no means a “master” such as
he was, I enjoy the challenge of trying to emulate his engraving
techniques via pen & ink.
I am active with several horror conventions in the US, and will
be participating in the Horrorfind.com 2004 Convention in Hunt
Valley, Maryland, and an art show/booksigning in October 2004 in
New York City, New York. While there, I will promote my two
illustrated novels, The Maidens of Babylon and The Arachne
Experiment, as well as an illustrated book of original poetry,
The Eye That Is Me.
*Other work presented here are nine drawings that are not a
part of the “Politics & Paganism” exhibition, and I have
therefore created a separate PDF file for these. Some of these
drawings are illustrations included in my three published books..
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Monique S Craig 
