Candice Clark
AVT 101 New Majors
Final Statement
Tony Cragg is a very interesting and eclectic artist. His work varies from colorful found material, to abstract and dynamic sculpted works that have a resemblance to faces. Researching him during the duration of this semester has been a great experience to allow me to diversify my own perspectives. Although I am interested in studying the field of graphic design, I found myself learning a lot about technique and intricacy when I studied the works of Tony Cragg.
Anthony Cragg, who is known by his nickname Tony, has a plethora of work and a large portfolio to prove it. He was born in Britain, but currently lives in Germany. My mother’s side of the family is German, and they live in Germany. Although this is a small factor, I felt more relatable to Tony Cragg. He first began by using found, discarded, and disposed materials, such as bronze, wood, and marble to create his large scale works of art. Upon researching this, I found many beautiful and slightly humorous sculptures that evoked a sense of awe within me. His work is very dynamic. Although his sculptures are sedentary, they look to be interacting with the environment and viewer. Some of his sculptures are very playful and colorful. What I found to be most interesting about his found material sculptures was the fact that when you get up close to them, you get to appreciate each object present within that piece. The objects may be seemingly random, but to different people, different meanings can arise. From afar, these mismatched items form an object recognizable and fascinating. I enjoyed that his sculptures were imaginative and created humorous stories of their own. In one particular piece, Cragg had the distortion of a human body coiling away from the adjacent wall, the colorful material and fun shape allowed me to connect with the piece. He also had human found material pieces interacting with other objects. These sorts of pieces evoke my imaginative side, and remind me of being a child, dreaming and drawing in colors and shapes that may not always match.
Another extremely interesting style I found when researching Cragg were his abstract sculptures. These could be made of marble or stone, or other varieties of materials Cragg used, but they would be carved intricately and beautifully. These works would have smooth curves and a dynamic shape that reminded me of flowing water. It looked as if water itself eroded the stone to form beautiful flowing shapes. Besides the attractive lively shapes, Cragg added important yet subtle detail. When I first viewed these works, I didn’t notice the hidden images, but upon viewing his work longer, the profile of human faces appeared. Cragg abstracted the human face enough to be hidden, but not unrecognizable. This detail really amazed me. I am the type of person to search of faces in objects without even realizing I am doing it. Cragg built this detail into his sculptures so well that I took more time to look at all of his work, just to find the faces. One of my favorite sculptures by Cragg involves jagged s-shaped semicircles. After viewing it longer, I realized they were two connected faces. This sort of sculpture really appealed to me.
Besides the sculptures, I learned a lot about Cragg through vertical and lateral research. Amazingly, Cragg does not claim to be influenced by certain artists; rather, scientists and philosophers, Issac Newton and Alain Prochiantz, influenced him. I can understand this because a lot of his work deals with the intricate shapes of these professions, although these shapes may not be deliberate. His pieces deal more with the mental than physical and require the viewer to not only view, but also think. This allows the work to evoke conversation, internal or external, about the meaning and significance. My lateral researches then lead me to an artist named Zaha Hadid. She is not directly related to Cragg by work, but her sculptures evoke the same kinds of intellectual questions and appeal. She too uses abstracted dynamic shapes that cause a viewer to stop and think. Appreciate this form of art because being graphic designer, I may only have a short span of time to involve someone in my piece. I like graphic design advertising, and with those, one may have only seconds to capture a reader’s attention, so skill and creativity is key in being successful. Looking at the works of Cragg, I can apply his notions to my work. If a piece draws you in, and allows you to become a part of it, you’re successful.
A lot of my other research detail with his background was important too, but I mostly found an interest in analyzing his art and process. I found myself really engaging in his work and wanting to visit Germany to see some of his pieces.
