James Croak
(1951)
Dirt Man with Shovel (from Dirt Man Series) (1993)
Cast dirt assembled over frame, H. 180 cm
Provenance:
– Galerie De La Tour, Amsterdam
– Private collection, the Netherlands
Note:
James Croak, an American artist renowned for his sculptures, photography, and art writings, defies convention with his preferred medium: dirt combined with a material that allows for sculpting and hardening. His distinctive approach sets him apart. Croak works in series, creating notable collections such as the Dirt Baby editions, the Dirt Man series, and the Window series. According to Croak, sculptures should not only prompt contemplation but also offer visual pleasure, as he believes they should be something both intellectually engaging and comprehensible.
Among his remarkable works are the life-sized sculptures ‘Dirt Men’. Reflecting on the ‘Dirt Man with shovel,’ Croak remarks: “The only two times you see a man in a coat and tie with a shovel is a funeral or a groundbreaking – a beginning or an end. It implies opposite emotions. It’s like he’s searching for something, he is that something. He’s dirt, the whole dust to dust imagery. He is what he’s looking for.”
* Condition report available upon request