Shadow Creatures @ University City (Ogden: May 7 - 22)

May at Universe City

WHO: Lewis Crawford

WHAT: Sidewalk Shadow Creatures, van dyke prints

WHEN: May 7, 8,, 14, 15, 21, 22 • Fridays 5:00-8:00 pm, Saturdays: 1:00-6:00 pm

or by appointment (call 801-458-8959)

WHERE: University City, 2556 Washington Blvd, Ogden

Lewis J. Crawford's Sidewalk Shadow Creatures will be the featured exhibit during the month of May at Universe City, 2556 Washington Boulevard in Ogden. Opening night will be held in conjunction with Downtown Ogden’s First Friday Art Stroll, Friday, May 7. Gallery hours are Fridays, 5:00-8:00 and Saturdays, (NEW HOURS) 1:00-6:00 pm. or by appointment (call Benjamin Jennings at 801-458-8959).

The Van Dyke process is an early photographic printing process. The process was so named due to the similarity of the print color to that of a brown oil paint named for Flemish painter Van Dyck. Printing with Van Dyke Brown requires the use of a large format negative in the size of the desired print, a suitable substrate for coating and subsequent printing, and a UV light source, either sunlight or suitable bulbs. The negative is placed on the thoroughly dried coated substrate, and is then weighted with a piece of glass.

Crawford uses this process to create the phantoms of extraordinary creatures in an ordinary world of concrete sidewalks. The exhibit is a zoo of 12"x12" prints of these shadow creatures.

Lewis J. Crawford is a fourth generation Arizona native and second generation Arizona artist. All though he still considers Prescott, AZ his hometown, he currently lives in Salt Lake City, UT and is an associate instructor for the University of Utah. In 2009, he earned a MFA in photography from the University of Utah and in 2005, a BFA in photography from Arizona State University graduating Summa Cum Laude. He has had solo shows in Tempe, AZ and Salt Lake City, UT. He has also participated in numerous group shows throughout the United States. His work combines digital technology, antiquated photographic processes and print making to create what he defines as factitious imagery.