DREAMSCAPES by Carol Crawford

Atlantic Gallery is pleased to present DREAMSCAPES, a solo exhibition of life-sized figurative drawings by Carol Crawford.   The images of refugees in transit, were created by merging / blending enlarged archival photographs in black and white with charcoal and pastel drawings.

“The theme”, the artist explains in her detailed catalog, “is one I’ve been exploring and researching since 2015.”  She adds that “..the examples I’ve chosen span nearly two centuries of history, and at least three continents…yet represent a fraction of the displaced people from around the world seeking safety and fleeing persecution.  This subject is difficult to contemplate; it is even harder to visualize and understand. “

Color in these works is sparing, the images as stark as their subject-matter; the viewer is compelled to look directly into their eyes and, as the artist intended, must relate to their humanity.

These powerful and compelling drawings are hung directly on the gallery walls unframed; the largest, entitled HOLOCAUST, is 7 feet in high and 12 feet wide.   Each portrays a different group of people trekking toward safety and freedom.

These studies of refugees stem from the artist’s continued research examining the legacy of their communities; their strength and resilience shine through in the portrayals.

The artist’s Dreamscapes series fulfills a goal the artist has long cherished: combining her documentary photographic work with her drawing. This latest body of work was funded in part by a New Work grant from The Queens Council on the Arts.