Meet Lynné Bowman Cravens | Contemporary Artist & Gallery Manager

We had the good fortune of connecting with Lynné Bowman Cravens and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Lynné, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
I have always been interested in art. Even as a child, I was always drawing or creating something. My mom is an artist, and my father was a hobby photographer. They tried to make sure my brother and I had lots of creative outlets growing up. I feel very lucky to have parents that encouraged my artist side and supported my decision to go into the arts professionally. I don’t remember making a conscious decision to pursue an artistic career, it always seemed like the logical thing to do. For me it’s about feeling like I am contributing something important through my work, but also gaining something through that process. Being an artist and working in a university gallery gives me the opportunity for both. I get to work with students in a mentorship position, problems solve and acquire practical skills, while also working alongside other practicing artists and learn from them directly. As much as I put into my art and gallery job, I get so much out of it too. It’s important for me to continue to learn and grow, and I’m lucky I get to do that daily through my work.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a fine art photographer working in an interdisciplinary method. I work primarily with photography, making unique pieces from an infinitely reproducible medium. Through meticulous physical distortions and transdisciplinary techniques, I create photographic pieces that address my personal experiences, identity, and physical form. In my art practice I utilize photography and 3D techniques to create dimensional pieces. I usually create this through combining photography with origami, or through fabric installations. When I create new pieces or series of works, I feel I am drawn to the materiality of the objects, but I am also interested in exploring new techniques. I started off working in very traditional photographic processes, shooting film and printing silver gelatin prints in the darkroom; but I’ve moved away from this reproducible way of making images to creating more unique works. I still use traditional skills and processes in my work, like the cyanotype process. However I try to work in whatever medium best portrays the ideas I am currently focusing on. I am currently working on a large, outdoor installation for the City of Fort Worth Public Art Program. This project is taking me into new materials but also a much larger scale. It is definitely exciting, but also a bit unnerving at times. I can’t wait until I can share this project with everyone!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I currently live in Fort Worth and food is a big one for me. I would definitely want to take them to some of my favorite spots, which include Thai Terrace, The Flying Carpet,  and La Tortilandia. We would also go to either The Modern or Amon Carter Museum for a quiet afternoon. I also love exploring the Fort Worth Botanic Garden and BRIT for a bit of outdoor scenery.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
First to my colleague and friend, Sara-Jayne Parsons, Director of The Art Galleries at TCU. I also have so many artist friends that always help me through lulls and remind me that we are in this together. A small sampling includes Iris Bechtol, Michelle Thomas Richardson, Molly Dierks, Ashley Whitt, Jessie Barnes, and Dornith Doherty. I am also grateful for my time as a 500X Gallery member, so many learned experiences and awesome people. But honestly there are too many people to name here.

Website: www.lynnecravens.com
Instagram: lynnebowmancravens
Linkedin: Lynné Bowman Cravens

Image Credits
Lynné Bowman Cravens, 2020