FORD CRULL: YES NO MAYBE
December 3rd, 2024 - January 16th, 2025
Crossing Art is delighted to present Yes No Maybe, a solo exhibition showcasing the visionary work of acclaimed artist Ford Crull. Celebrated for his emotive use of symbolism and dynamic painterly techniques, Crull invites viewers to navigate the intricate landscapes of self, culture, and collective unconscious in this latest showcase.
Yes No Maybe delves into the profound ambiguity of human experience, examining the themes of choice, uncertainty, and the spiritual quest for meaning Crull’s signature vivid colors, intricate layers, and evocative symbols create a universe of overlapping pictorial worlds. Crull’s canvases pulsate with the energy of transformation and introspection. Familiar symbols, including hearts, wings, crosses, and the human figure, emerge and dissolve into abstract compositions that are as enigmatic as they are resonant. Crull’s hallmark use of cryptic text and vibrant color creates a tapestry of meanings that evolve with each viewing.
The exhibition reflects Crull’s enduring fascination with the power of symbols to shape collective understanding and personal identity. “Symbols have an intrinsic power; a drama and mystery that fascinates me,” the artist explains. This sentiment finds expression in the intricate textures and bold gestures of his work, which bridge the gap between historical tradition and contemporary abstraction. Crull's artistic practice is deeply rooted in his choice of mediums, particularly oil paint. He expresses a profound connection to oil paint, stating, "I love the smell of paint (oil) and the way it does different things depending on how you apply it." This affinity highlights his appreciation for the medium's versatility and sensory qualities.
In Yes No Maybe, Crull extends an invitation to explore the transformative power of art. As he observes, “What gives the painting a life of its own is that everyone is seeing something different based on their own experience.” This ethos anchors the exhibition, offering an immersive and thought-provoking journey for all who attend.
Ford Crull’s ‘Yes No Maybe’ will be on view at Crossing Art in Chelsea, New York from December 3rd 2024 through to January 16th 2025.
Interview: Crossing Art X Ford Crull
Crossing Art: You say that you’re a Neo-symbolist artist. Can you talk more about this definition of your artistic alignment?
Ford Crull: If you’re familiar with the symbolist movement of the 19th century, it was the first time that writers and artists worked in this area of what they called “ambiguity.” Artists, especially Redon (Odilon Redon), juxtaposed images so that there was no specific meaning.
Like, people ask me, 'What does it mean?’ and I’ll say, ‘What does it mean to you?’ And, they’ll say ‘Well, I see this, or I’m seeing this and this reminds me of something like that,’ so then I’ll say ‘That’s what it’s about,’ because my ideas have no more validity than the viewer. Everybody is going to come from their own gender, race, and background.
Just as the Neo-expressionists in the 1970s harking back to German Expressionism in the late 1920s-30s and doing a modern version, I am taking a cue from the symbolist movement, which was around the 1880s and 1890s. When I say “Neo”, it is my version of that.
Crossing Art: There are layers of symbols in your paintings, and how do you select certain symbols and interpret them in your own ways? Are there specific messages you want to convey through the symbols, whether personal or cultural?
Ford Crull: There are two ways of viewing my “symbolism” both personal and cultural. A lot of the symbols such as the flower cross are made up and meant to be ambiguous. Some people see it as a cross, a flower, or something else. The point is that I don’t want it to be obvious.
I mean, some parts of the symbols are obvious. I like heart-like shapes, but I would kind of change them a bit so that they are in a different context or they don’t look exactly like hearts. But to me, they look like they’re almost flying, with a bird-like sensibility.
I also do a lot of words, which are again, ambiguous. They usually don’t make sense, because I don’t want them to be literal and I want to create an idea or sense of something.
Some symbols in The Fellowship (1997), such as a little structure with letters around it, come from the Byzantine symbols, around the 12th and 13th centuries. They are phenomenal and I make my own versions of them, so I metamorphosize them. What I love about them is that they are fairly complicated. Like, I am Arthur, and I come from this village and my family goes back to a certain time and place. The structures of them actually tell a story, which I thought was amazing. Again, it is an ambiguous thing that I changed and made my own.
People say why you used certain numbers and letters. It’s because I like the shapes of certain numbers and letters and I’ll use them over and over again. Sometimes, they are in a format of another shape, but they usually have their own realities.
Crossing Art: Critics often comment that your paintings achieve a sense of balance across a multitude of contrasting elements, for instance, your work Midnight Summer, Ruby 2 (2010). Can you share how you were able to create this balance and some of your thoughts behind it?
Ford Crull: That painting is based on a studio I had in a place near Woodstock, upstate New York. If you look closely at it, you’ll find that it’s all made of stencils, which accentuate the black-and-white contrast. To me, it all makes sense to create a balance in them. Even the ones with white stripes or lettering on them. The stripes create a balance that enunciates the middle phase.
I used to be able to see these incredible sunsets from my window. I did an underpainting that is very washy, especially the rose red in the background. Through the background, you can see different stencils, structuring negative and positive spaces.
Crossing Art: What is your way of working and engaging with the medium you chose, such as oil paint?
Ford Crull: For instance, the little drawings are watercolor, oil pastel, and graphite. Those are really automatic, made in a hotel room in Bangkok, Thailand.
I love the way oil works. Acrylic doesn’t flow in the way I want. If you look at Phuket Night (2019), you see that I covered a whole area in turpentine, dropped some paint there, and moved the canvas around. But then you get that beautiful, subtle background.
One of the things about oil is that when the light hits a canvas with oil, the light basically goes through the color to the canvas and then bounces back. You’re seeing the colors, but they come out with the light. I like the veins of color that flow in the background.
Crossing Art: As you mentioned, your drawing series and several works featured in this show are related to your trip to Phuket, Thailand, so do different cultures or countries inspire your art? If so, how?
Ford Crull: They do, but it is interesting that I don’t consciously think about that. Different places I’ve been I’ll notice later. Like, there’s a painting I did right after 9/11, where you can definitely see the elements of the shattered buildings. But I did not intentionally do that. I mean, for me, these paintings and drawings just show up. I think the cultures just have an effect on me that helps me engage with their sensibility.
In Thailand, I like the cultures and buildings. I saw this one classical dance with these kids, and it was just so beautiful. And I think that stuff just kind of goes inside and becomes part of you. I couldn’t say there is anything specific about that in my work, but you may sense that feeling that it is very happy. The people and culture there are very positive.
Crossing Art: In your paintings, Disembodied (2017) and As If I (2008), it seems that you’re more interested in exploring figurative composition. If so, how did you explore figurative expression, alongside the depiction of symbols?
Ford Crull: I think it bounces back and forth.
In As If I, there are many crazy writings. It was meant to be kind of humorous. The head figure was made through a process of Graffiti that you scratch into the surface to reveal what is underneath. In fact, most of the time, the images just show up. I don’t plan a whole lot. I mean, some of these where I have the symbols in the middle might be planned, but everything else is just whatever that pops into my head.
Crossing Art: Are other forms of visual art or any other type of art a source of inspiration for you? For instance, you collaborated with the Chinese musician Li Jun for a performance piece in Shanghai in 2010.
Ford Crull: I think, if you’re an art student, you’re going to go through the history of art. And all of it is going to have an effect on you. I love the transition between Surrealism and Abstract Expressionism, like Arshile Gorky (1904-1948), and he’s also a major influence on me. I like how he interpreted and used those organic forms. But I think for me, I just focused on those Symbolists, because they were the first to juxtapose different elements. And Surrealists actually took a lot from them. In my work, I also try to move a lot of stuff around.
Also, for that performance piece, you can find it on YouTube. I did a massive painting of a whole wall, like 6 by 25 feet. I painted blind for an hour to music, and I painted barefoot. The whole point is how your other senses make up for your lack of vision - sense of touch, listening, and just how things feel around you. For the first half of the music played by a jazz musician I painted all the line work, and for the second half of the Erhu music played by Li Jun, I added all my color elements.