botback

"The Kudra Etagere"

"A'Banst" Chair "

 
 

We have selected pieces of furniture and paintings from each series of subject matter of Stefan Crane's work in order to give you an overview of this rather large body of work. Whenever you would like to see more of a particular series and/or hear a more in depth discussion of that topic including comments by the artist, simply click on that subject matter in the drop down box..

Stefan Crane has been creating art most of his life, so in this mature body of work there are pieces from his earlier work through his latest work. He has expressed his art in several different mediums, styles and techniques at different points in time. Yet through all of the work is a consistent view of the world. Therefore you will find seemingly very different furniture pieces and paintings that have a common thread weaving through them.

His world view has been formed by some very strong fundamentals. His whole life Stefan Crane's passions have been the pursuit of knowledge, adventure, travel, endurance sports and his work. He has been happily married for over 30 years and has a fifteen-year-old son. You will see all of these interests, concerns and passions expressed throughout his work.

His domestic concerns have translated naturally to encompass the domestic space of the home with beautiful pieces of furniture. Mr. Crane designed his first chair over 30 years ago. Since then he has amassed a very impressive portfolio of pieces that have been designed and built for corporate and individual clients as well as galleries.

 

Combining Art and Function is the essence of the collection you will see in the Furniture Section. A similar interpretation of form and movement seen in Mr. Crane's painting is also seen in his furniture designs. These are all limited production pieces, signed and dated, and built to order. Most pieces are available in a selection of woods.

The Kilgo Bar Stool is a perfect blend of function and art. On one hand it is comfortable, sturdy and exquisitely crafted. On the other it is pure sculpture, curving and bending with special attention given to the concept of viewing it from all sides and angles as you would any piece of sculpture. Every view has strong lines and a different point of interest. The wood is sanded and finished to feel sensuously smooth to the touch.

The A'Banst Chair has lines similar to the Kilgo Bar Stool, but the subtle detailing is different. This very graceful chair could be placed in a living room or entry area as an sculptural accent piece or grouped for comfortable dining room chairs or used at a counter height bar. The seats are all hand carved providing a very comfortable fit. The design on the curved back of each chair is slightly different, making for a very interesting dining room set.

The paintings and painted boxes are grouped into series of various subject matters. We have chosen one or two paintings and boxes from each series for this brief overview.
 
The first painting, Connection in Blue, is in the Couples and Immigration Series. This series is about people coming together to form a couple and their migration to a new land to create a new life. The image of flight or lack of gravity is very strong in this series. It works on different levels, one of the idea of flight to a new land and another the floating sensation of falling in love.

"Connection in Blue"
 

"Orange Figures 3"

In the next painting on a box, Orange Figures 3, we see another couple boldly painted in oranges using repeated triangular shapes. This couple has settled, they are strong and secure in their solidarity with each other and their new environment.

 
Parent and Child and Beach Scenes primarily deal with the very unique and special relationship between a parent and their child. Many of them are set on a warm beautiful beach. Two of the paintings in this group are Motherhood and Red Boat. Even though there seems to be a very romantic view, there are other levels of tensions in these scenes. There is a heightened level of sensuality and a search for form that is more complex than simply figures on the shore. There are several levels of engagement shown by the gazes of the figures in Red Boat. The interesting challenge of Motherhood is found in the mother's gaze. As Mr. Crane has revisited a familiar theme and composition, it has been treated in a very different way.

'Motherhood"

 

"Red Boat"

 
In the Emergent Series we see his view of the young person just reaching adulthood with their entire future ahead of them. It is exciting and hopeful and at the same time frightening and unknown much like going into a wilderness which promises exploration, adventure and a certain amount of danger.
 
 

"Two Women at River"

 Examples of this series would be Girl in Stream and Two Women at River. In both we see the promise and beauty of youth standing at the edge of the river about to enter. Both are painted with energetic and confident brush strokes using the paint as an architectural element to build the depth and complexity of these pieces. Another piece with this same feeling of embarking on a new chapter or new level in her life is seen on the painted art box, Woman at Dawn. This appears to be a mature woman with the same sense of a new beginning.
Girl in Stream"
 
Next we flow seamlessly into the Space Dominance Series. These are images of figures that have found their place in this world and are owning that space. They are strong, confident and are gaining strength from their environment. The technique used in many of these is that of color creating form and expressing emotion. We see this in Morning in the Garden and Summer Light, as well as on the art box, Stretching Figure No. 1.

"Summer Light"

"Stretching Figure No. 1"

"Morning in the Garden"
 
"The Cyclist" In a similar vein, Stefan's strong athletic training and appreciation of the athlete is expressed in The Athlete Series. One aspect of these painting is not only how the body is built and sculpted by athletic training, but also how one's sport or activity marks the body. An example of this is The Cyclist, showing muscular male body with the unique tan lines that cyclist get with their bicycle shorts and jerseys spending hours each day out on their bikes. Two other examples would be Swimmer Stretching and Long Distance Swimmer. In Swimmer Stretching we see the triangular shape of a swimmer's broad shoulders, tight waist and small buttocks. In Long Distance Swimmer we see the impressions of goggles and sun block on a swimmer after a long duration in the water.

"Swimmer Stretching"

"Long Distance Swimmer"
 
The Dancers in the Dance and Movement Series are also seen as very athletic, but without the discipline. These are not professional dancers of course, but rather dancers who are dancing a dance of life, feeling the freedom to express and release inner, more primitive energies. A thin wash of paint is used to create soft yet vibrant color washing over and around the dancers in Primordial Dance who are dancing with complete abandon the dances that have been danced around fires since the beginning of time. In Red Dancers, these couples could be at any place at any point in time, be it tribal or rock n roll, the background could be cave or club. There is a definite feeling of great joy and celebration.

"Primordial Dance"

"Red Dancers"

 

"Three Sisters"

There is a more somber feeling in the next drawing, Three Sisters, inspired by Anton Chekhov's "The Cherry Orchard". The three sisters are used to offset and offer different points of view as they struggle with their unhappiness and the belief that going to Moscow is the answer to their despair. The road stretches out in front of them and we realize that it does not hold the salvation they long for, it must come from within.
 
The next paintings, Figure Study No 13 and Figure Study No. 14, in the Nude Series are two intriguing figure studies completed with oil and charcoal. The depth of field achieved defies the thin film of paint used almost like a photographic emulsion bringing up deep sepia tones and warm illumination.

"Figure Study No.13"

"Figure Study No. 14"
 

"Two Women on Blue Blanket"

 The painted box, "Two Women on Blue Blanket", uses color to create the form and express the emotion in this very powerful figure study in the Nude Series.
 
Many of the paintings in the Portrait Series are painted in the Expressionistic Style with Mr. Crane interpreting the individual subjects to express an emotion or quality. Of course, this can be found throughout his painting. The first example of this is May, painted with a very narrow palette, yet it has a strong expression of an individual that is sexy, self-confident while not being idealized. Another striking portrait is Bren 8, one of the portraits of the artist's wife. In the painted boxes, Serenity and Annie, we see more romanticized of these women. The soft narrow palettes underlie the sensuous appeal of these paintings.

"May"

"Bren 8"

"Serenity"
 

"Rhino 3"

"Rhino 4"

The next two large paintings of the Rhino Series also use a narrow palette, and are very sensuous, however, they have a much different feel to them. The crashing strength of the rhinoceros in Rhino 3 is foreboding and alluring at the same time. In the more lyrical composition of Rhino 4 the woman is swinging freely with the rhinos wandering around her with a feeling of having made their peace.
 
The Piano Player, another large painting in the Musicians and Clubs Series that is virtually exploding with color, movement and energy. In this exuberant painting we "see" the music as color - the piano is expanding beyond its physical constraints and the musician is absorbed totally by his music.

"The Piano Player"

 

In Blues 2, we see a portrait of a blues singer working in that special zone of unfettered communication, of being lost in their music with all out emotion and free flowing feelings.

 

 

"Blues 2"

 
In the Celebration Series, we see a different stratum of society. The partygoers in Manhattan in their black tie attire gather in small groups to talk and exchange ideas and antidotes. This is a very elegant affair with gold light flickering over the privileged guests.

"Manhattan"
 

"Two Generations"

The next series, Archetypes, are a variety of portrayals of accepted and revered elements of society. The first is seen in Two Generations where we see the celebration of the wedding day and the passage of time, knowledge and responsibility from grandmother to granddaughter. It is the matriarchal link of past, present and future. The method of using silhouettes is reminiscent of Asian art and puppetry that uses silhouettes of their well-known archetypes.
 
In The Dream we are seeing an idealized and metaphorical view of reality in a dream. The nude woman is resting peacefully in a very open gesture while dreaming of swimming with dolphins. There is a sort of new age view here of evolution bringing us back to our origin, the sea, and reacquainting us with our long absent, but not distant family of the seagoing mammals, the dolphins. In this view we see a definite lack of authority of stewardship or control over other mammals, but only a shared cooperative lifestyle.

"The Dream"

 

"Pears No. 2"

"Carrots"

 As we move to the Environment Series, we see a group of paintings of fruits and vegetables that are painted with intensity of van Gogh and the sensuality of Matisse. These paintings are about how our environment nurtures us. The colors are alive and vibrant and the brush strokes have energetically layered the thick textured paint upon the canvas. Three examples of these are Pears No. 2, Carrots and Five Tomatoes.

 

"Five Tomatoes"

 
The last in the series, Abstract and Sculptural has some interesting and fun examples of Mr. Crane's earlier work. Summer Spent in Montana is a complex collage of experiences and emotions. Stella 2 is attributed to the influence of Frank Stella, with sculptural pieces incorporated into the top and an explosion of color and movement.

"Summer Spent in Montana"

"Stella 2"

 

"Canyons 2"

On a broader scale, Canyons 2, speaks to how beautiful natural environments nourish our spirit of adventure as well as our souls.
We hope you have enjoyed this tour and overview of Stefan Crane's work. To see more paintings in each series and a more in-depth discussion of the work, go to Subjects at the top of the page and click on the subject group you are interested in.