Deer Running in the Snow (after Courbet) 2006 Oil on canvas 60 x 48 inches Courtesy of Ann Craven Studio
ANN cRaVEN B. 1967, boston, massachusetts lives and works in new york CITy & cushing, maine
When I find myself painting en plein air, depicting the beauty of the natural world, my expedition into nature is not only literal but symbolic. I explore the relationship between man and environment. In 2017, at Southard Reid in London, I had my first show devoted to animal subjects. Animals 1997-2017 featured paintings of deer, cats, pandas, and birds, with imagery derived from an extensive photo archive, spanning printouts, digital sources, and direct observation. Painting in nature has always been fundamental to my practice. Also relevant here, as it was in Animals, I reference the 1973 science fiction film Soylent Green and its depiction of the perspective of a guardian of nature, demonstrating the film’s profound influence on me and my work. As evident in the title, Deer Running in the Snow (after Courbet) is inspired by Gustave Courbet and his 1857 work of the same name. I draw on Courbet’s imagery in some of my work, finding that his treatment of the outdoors lends itself to my more pastoral pictures. Though the two works share titles and subject matter, their symbolism ultimately differs. In Courbet’s works, the expedition was that of man—specifically the hunt for and killing of a stag, through which the hunter explores the cold and unforgiving wilderness to chase and defeat nature. For me, the idea of expedition relates to that of the animal, of nature and its ultimate triumph over man. My animals may be depicted as cute and kind, but they represent strength. Similar to Soylent Green, much of Courbet’s work focused on death and the triumph of man over nature. My works highlight a distinct absence of man, allowing animals to live and thrive without interference or duress. Deer Running in the Snow (after Courbet) 2006 Oil on canvas, 60 x 48 inches (c) Ann Craven Studio Image courtesy of the artist Photo of Ann Craven by Peter Halley
10