Enid Crow (born 1968), is an American feminist artist who is best known for the Disaster Series, a series of self-portrait photographs. She has had solo shows at
A.I.R. Gallery (NYC), Holocene (Portland), and
Constance Art Gallery (Iowa). Her photographs have been published in
Venus Zine
''Venus Zine'' was a quarterly internationally circulated magazine covering women in music, film, art, entertainment, literature, fashion, indie culture and DIY culture. It was published from 1995 through 2010.
Venuszine.com was the daily update ...
, riffRAG, 24/7, Altar.
From 1991-1992, she was a member of
Johannes Birringer's dance theatre company—AlienNation Co. -- in Chicago, Illinois. From 1997 to 2000 she studied
Noh drama in Japan. Since 2005, she has performed with
Justin Duerr in the self-described lo-fi craft pop band the Vivian Girls Experience, based on the work of artist
Henry Darger
Henry Joseph Darger Jr. (; April 12, 1892 – April 13, 1973) was an American writer, novelist and artist who worked as a hospital custodian in Chicago, Illinois. He has become famous for his posthumously discovered 15,145-page fantasy novel m ...
.
Education
Crow has degrees from multiple universities. She studied at the
State University of New York at Geneseo
The State University of New York College at Geneseo (SUNY Geneseo, Geneseo State College or, colloquially, "Geneseo") is a public liberal arts college in Geneseo, New York. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. The colle ...
where she earned a bachelor of arts degree in Dramatic Arts. Next, she did her graduate studies in theater and performance at
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston, Illinois. Founded in 1851, Northwestern is the oldest chartered university in Illinois and is ranked among the most prestigious academic institutions in the world.
Charte ...
. Interestingly, Crow also has multiple degrees in fields unrelated to art and performance. Crow received a degree in Education from the
University of Florida
The University of Florida (Florida or UF) is a public land-grant research university in Gainesville, Florida. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida, traces its origins to 1853, and has operated continuously on its ...
along with a
J.D. degree from
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then- Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin.
In 1832, th ...
.
Style and Technique
Much of Crow’s work exhibits a self-portrait format in which she often dresses up as various characters. Most of her work is organized into series which usually abide by a certain theme or message. For example, she pictured herself as working class laborers in “Happy Workers”, gay man in “Faggots”, stereotypical male archetypes in “History of Mustaches”, and a class of people in distress in “Disaster.” In these series, she adapts her looks, her clothes, and her surroundings to mimic the character she is trying to portray.
Crow has stated that her characters are “Archetypal people and usually the way I think of the character is.”
Many of her photographs are intentionally comical.
External links
Enid Crow's websiteA.I.R. Gallery website
References
American photographers
Feminist artists
Actresses from New York (state)
1968 births
Living people
American women photographers
21st-century American women
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