ORIGIN: I was born March, 1954, in Fontana, California at the Kaiser Memorial Hospital, a state of the art facility that the industrialist and World War II hero, Henry J. Kaiser, built for his employees and others, because he believed there was more to life than being a selfish, greedy bastard. A part of him lives in me.
Other than Kaiser Steel, Fontana has one other distinction. It was the birthplace of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club. No part of them lives in me.
The only reason I was born in Fontana is that my father was forced to flee Kingman, Arizona, after being caught stealing from Mojave County Clerks Office. My grandfather, William J. Crowley (Big Bill) pulled some strings, and we were allowed to return from exile in the summer of 1957. I am sure that my grandfather's spirit was humbled that hundreds of people from all walks of life --- ethnic, religious, and professional- attended his funeral. I hope that a large part of him lives in me.
ART: When I was in the fourth grade at Fort Lowell Elementary in Tucson, my teacher down graded an "A" to a "B minus" because I had drawn what she called "little dolls" in the margins of my book report. I told my Dad. He came to school the next day, met with the Principal, and I got an "A" on my book report. I was also encouraged by my teacher from then on to continue to draw "little dolls" whenever and wherever I so desired. That part of my Father lives in me. I still don't get "little dolls". Oh well. Christmas in the seventh grade got me one present (it was an ugly financial year for my parents), a little watercolor box with 8 colors and three brushes.
And I began.
I took every art class offered in high school; drawing, design, and sculpture at Northern Arizona University; life drawing at the University of Arizona, and years of trial and error. I have been selling out of my studio since 1986.
LA FRONTERA: In Spanish, "La Frontera" means "The Border". Several years ago I decided that after all the years that I had been exploring Southern Arizona via 4 wheel drive and by "Boots and a Pistol", it was time to tap that part of my brain that has stored all the tragedy, metaphor, mystery, history, and danger of the borderlands. Border crossers, smugglers, paranoid gold miners, musicians, fence posts, barbed wire and old rusty cans found off the trail and in the cemeteries along with the plastic flowers left by the keepers of a history that will never be known. La Frontera is from the Gila River in Arizona to the guts of Northern Mexico, Sonora. Chihuahua, south of Las Cruces and on to El Paso and into Juarez. A very sad land indeed.
La Frontera is my heart. It haunts me and defines my work.
S. Crowley
Unless otherwise noted, all artwork is for sale. Please contact me at villistascrow@gmail.com for pricing information.
All art posted is
Copyright Sean K. Crowley
and may not be used for any purpose without written permission of Sean K. Crowley
Other than Kaiser Steel, Fontana has one other distinction. It was the birthplace of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club. No part of them lives in me.
The only reason I was born in Fontana is that my father was forced to flee Kingman, Arizona, after being caught stealing from Mojave County Clerks Office. My grandfather, William J. Crowley (Big Bill) pulled some strings, and we were allowed to return from exile in the summer of 1957. I am sure that my grandfather's spirit was humbled that hundreds of people from all walks of life --- ethnic, religious, and professional
ART: When I was in the fourth grade at Fort Lowell Elementary in Tucson, my teacher down graded an "A" to a "B minus" because I had drawn what she called "little dolls" in the margins of my book report. I told my Dad. He came to school the next day, met with the Principal, and I got an "A" on my book report. I was also encouraged by my teacher from then on to continue to draw "little dolls" whenever and wherever I so desired. That part of my Father lives in me. I still don't get "little dolls". Oh well. Christmas in the seventh grade got me one present (it was an ugly financial year for my parents), a little watercolor box with 8 colors and three brushes.
And I began.
I took every art class offered in high school; drawing, design, and sculpture at Northern Arizona University; life drawing at the University of Arizona, and years of trial and error. I have been selling out of my studio since 1986.
LA FRONTERA: In Spanish, "La Frontera" means "The Border". Several years ago I decided that after all the years that I had been exploring Southern Arizona via 4 wheel drive and by "Boots and a Pistol", it was time to tap that part of my brain that has stored all the tragedy, metaphor, mystery, history, and danger of the borderlands. Border crossers, smugglers, paranoid gold miners, musicians, fence posts, barbed wire and old rusty cans found off the trail and in the cemeteries along with the plastic flowers left by the keepers of a history that will never be known. La Frontera is from the Gila River in Arizona to the guts of Northern Mexico, Sonora. Chihuahua, south of Las Cruces and on to El Paso and into Juarez. A very sad land indeed.
La Frontera is my heart. It haunts me and defines my work.
S. Crowley
Unless otherwise noted, all artwork is for sale. Please contact me at villistascrow@gmail.com for pricing information.
All art posted is
Copyright Sean K. Crowley
and may not be used for any purpose without written permission of Sean K. Crowley
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