Ashley Crawford

Based in: Naarm/Melbourne, Australia

Ashley Crawford is a freelance cultural critic and arts journalist based in Melbourne, Australia and is the author of Dark Gnosis: Religious Imaging in Millennial America(Palgrave McMillan, New York, 2018). He is also author of a number of books on Australian art, including Transformations: The Work of Sonia Payes(Thames & Hudson, 2016), Wimmera: The Work of Philip Hunter(Thames & Hudson, 2002) and Spray, The Work of Howard Arkley(co-author, Craftsman House, 1997). He is a regular contributor to The Age,The Australian, The Guardian, The Financial Review, The Sydney Morning Herald,Australian Art Collector, Art Monthly, and numerous other publications. He is also the former editor of Tension, World Art, 21•Cand Photofilemagazines. Crawford has also curated numerous exhibitions including Where Angels Fear To Tread: The Work of Dale Frank(Monash University Gallery, Melbourne, 1994) and Gareth Sansom (The 2010 TarraWarra Biennial, Melbourne, 2010). Crawford trained as a journalist in the late 1970’s and holds a Doctorate in Philosophy from the University of Melbourne.

FEATURES

Artist Profile: Cameron Robbins

Some artists use paintbrushes, some use photographic emulsion and others use spray cans. Cameron Robbins uses the wind.

Mathieu Briand: A Pirate’s Life

Traversing the tides between real and imagined, French-born, Melbourne-based artist Mathieu Briand’s practice is brimming with hidden treasures.

David Griggs: Apocalypse New

On a three-month residency in the Philippines, David Griggs was blown away by Manila’s radical art scene. These days, he calls the city home.
Fiona Hall

On The World Stage: Fiona Hall

In the hands of Fiona Hall, even a discarded sardine can become an intricate construction, as she tirelessly toils to make detritus desirable.
Julia Robinson

Cool Hunter Predictions: Julia Robinson

Some people like their art easy to consume, something recognisable, something safe. Julia Robinson doesn’t make art for those people.

Adam Cullen: When the Weird Turn Pro

Like gonzo journalist Hunter S Thompson, artist Adam Cullen refuses to bend the rules, writes Ashley Crawford.