R. L. Croft :: Statement

Prior to 1984, frustration with the splintered factions of painting manifested itself in a flat, painterly style influenced by advertising, late Philip Guston, de Chirico, H. C. Westermann and other New Imagists. Fondness for disparate artists checkmated every painting decision in a futile effort to achieve a modicum of originality. Confusion about why and how to make pictures, as well as the desire to maintain a drawing outlet, urged the adoption of sculpture in the 1980s. Concurrent interest in Duchamp also influenced the change.

Bridging the transition from oil-on-canvas to sculpture were “constructures,” or constructed pictures. These works were uniformly five feet high with varying widths, capable of hanging individually or butting together in combinations. Physically, they featured painting as well as objects built into them. Panels usually addressed issues unrelated to adjacent partners in a group, resulting in the effect of idea fragments hung in series.

Eventually constructures gave way to sculpture drawn with existing metal components cannibalized from consumer and industrial products. Absurdity, humor, tragedy, homage and autobiographical content recur in several series. Experience in technical illustration and commercial art inform some elements of the work. Diverse influences are known for strong draftsmanship. In a sense, the work parallels naive art by avoiding prevailing trends and building upon rugged drawing guided by intuition.