Artist Crowley kicks off TNews artist series

By Soren Wuerth

By TNews Editor

Artist: Kevin “Kc” Crowley

Parked on the end of a row of vendors selling glitter and hoodies, cannibus merch and fair food Kc Crowley's booth gives pause to the revelor. 

Prints display images in cut from woodblock, art made by carving away "negative space" with ink applied to the raised surface.

Crowley's work is deeply personal and potent:  a salmon appears to twist to the surface of the print. Black lines swirl and ripple with a sense of depth, as if looking at the surface of a river, stripped of its negative space by dappling sunlight, revealed by shades of leaves.

We begin a monthly artist feature with Kc's print and words. Each month, Kc will help curate an artist feature while sharing his own prints and poetry. TNews hopes the feature sparks a deeper dive into local, Alaska art. We will continue to feature full articles and photos of our local artists doing their thing (yo, Tommy!), and want to open this section to anyone with creative ideas and imaginings.

By Kc Crowley

Artist Statement

As a kid I guess the whole art thing really started with comic books, I grew up loving comics (especially the black and white indie comics of the 80's ) and this love naturally sort of grew into tattooing and then eventually into the carving and designing woodblocks. Most of my inspiration comes from my time in the mountains or on the water. I never went to art school or took any classes so my process for printmaking is very circuitous and self taught, I have relied heavily on the local library for instructional guides but mostly just learned from my mistakes. 

The first of a multi-part feature is a collection named “Dog Walk, Parts 1-3”. (Art and Poems by Kc Crowley)

DOG WALK, PART 1

She’s a sled dog

A full bred dog

A sleek and round well-fed dog

A leader, not a led dog

Go roll in something dead dog

Track mud up on the bed dog

Fall asleep on top my head dog

Cover sofas with fur shed dog

In spite of all I’ve said dog

There’s none I’d have instead dog

DOG WALK, PART 2

It was a simple pup’s mistake

Such a cool, inviting lake.

A mistake

She’ll not soon make again.

Trespass a lake

Where beavers den.

DOG WALK, PART 3

As along the trail we went

I’m glad she never caught the scent

Of the sow

Nor the cub

Hiding in

The devil’s club