Meet Lana Crooks and enjoy pieces from her latest show SOFT SCULPTURES AND FAUX SPECIMENS
An enclosed jar holds the propped-up skeleton of a bird-like creature draped with black velvet wings; the jar is the first of many that will be adorning Albuquerque’s Stranger Factory this past November. Despite the delicate craftsmanship of each bone, this exhibit is not archeological but artistic, with the creator of each character being not nature itself but of award-winning sculptor Lana Crooks.
A New Mexico-based art gallery, Stranger Factory specializes in contemporary character design, illustration, lowbrow, and narrative art. The gallery carves its own name out by featuring original artwork from a variety of artists, both local and international, many of which have art that features a darker and artistic twist on the world around them. Within Stranger Factory, Crooks found the perfect home for her craft that infuses life into the concept of death and will be celebrating her fourth installment with the local art gallery this year.
Crooks’ art is self-described as a blend of science and fantasy. Each three-dimensional creature, at first glance, seems like a fossil of long-dead fantastical beasts. While Crooks herself enjoys studying real specimens, the inspiration for her work is not as straightforward as being inspired by fossils alone, however.
“My inspiration is ubiquitous,” Crooks said. “Music, movies, lore, and with my work now, nature.”
An artist for longer than she can remember, Crooks found herself in art advanced placement throughout high school and went to college at the Savannah College of Art & Design, graduating eventually with a degree in illustration.
It was finally in 2004 she started making textile sculptures that mixed her passions of costume design and illustration before slowly morphing into the faux natural history specimens she creates. The result is several specimens made from fabrics and found objects delicately spun to resemble mythical creatures’ bones. Many of Crooks creations can be found swaddled in flowers pulling off a beautiful macabre effect that feels at home in the Southwest.
“I do try to recreate skulls and bones accurately, so I really enjoy when the public thinks the objects are real,” Crooks said. “(I like) watching the reaction when they find out a bird skull was hand-sewn and not actually bone.”
Crooks upcoming exhibit provides a twist on her art, drawing on the feeling of being lost only to regain one’s foothold in society.
Her exhibit titled “Found / Lost” is the third installment of the theme exploring displacement and finding a home. Crooks found the inspiration for the project after moving from Chicago to Portland, she said.
While as an artist, Crooks hopes to connect with every attendee of her newest exhibition, she emphasizes the importance of understanding the subjectiveness of art.
“I can’t really make anyone feel anything specific; that’s the fun of it. I create on a theme that’s close to me and pour my emotions into the work and hope for the best,” she said.
With 2020 being a challenging year for the artist, Crooks hopes to keep going forward by pushing through the year’s hardships and never losing her inspiration. Her newest exhibit is just the next step for her as she focuses on getting back into her workflow while still enjoying her life.
“It is important to strike a balance – especially for me,” Crooks said. “I would love to collaborate more and work on more broad projects, not just on the fine art/exhibition side, but I also want to take more downtime to become inspired and explore other techniques.”
