Exclusive Interview: 'All That Remains' group show at Stranger Factory, curated by Lana Crooks!!!

In just a little over a week on October 7th, Lana Crooks and Stranger Factory will be presenting a group show, All That Remains! The show will feature 21 artists, and focuses on their translations of "remains" - bones, anatomy, and all that spooky goodness. We had an awesome opportunity to chat with Lana to get some details on what inspired the show and catch up on her art happenings! Maybe a few sneak peeks too ;)

Kat: The title of your upcoming curated show has a wonderfully mysterious name - All That Remains. What inspired this theme?
Lana: I have wanted to put together a bone / specimen exhibition for a few years now, since my own work had gone that direction. The title, All That Remains, popped into my head while I was pitching the concept to Stranger Factory. I was calling it the "Remains" exhibit but then it morphed to be more of a question and a phrase. So, when I invited the artists I gave them the title as the theme to interpret as they saw fit.

Kat: You've a wide variety of artists in this exhibit - 21 in all! How did all these artists get involved, and will you be doing any collaborations with them in the exhibit?
Lana: The show started out as a sculpture exhibition, with a few artists already in mind. The idea of real bone vs faux bone was the starting point. As I began compiling the artist list and exploring the concept, I became aware of new artists and seeing that some people I had not even thought of initially would really bring the show to life. I wanted to see what artist with similar artistic aesthetics could do with the theme using different mediums. No collaborations this time but I would already like to revisit this exhibition, maybe a sequel. I have an even more extensive list started.

Kat: What especially excites you about this show? What would you say is the biggest change from prior exhibits that you've curated?
Lana: This theme is dear to my heart, a love of mixing the creepy imaginative realism with the scientific. The pieces that I have seen so far are just amazing and I'm thrilled to be working with such talented people. Everything is spectacular and I can't wait to hang the show to see everything in person. The biggest change from prior curated exhibits is that this roster of artists come from many more places in the art world, from many genres and disciplines. There are artists working in bone, clay, fabric, paper, and paint just to name a few techniques.

Kat: When you curate shows, do you already have an idea of how things will come together or is every show a surprise =)
Lana: I usually have a rough idea of the final product based on what I know of the selected artists work. But, you never know what the size, scale, and outcome of the final works will be until they all arrive at the gallery. Opening boxes for an exhibit is a lot like xmas morning, lots of surprises. So really, the whole layout and plan for the hanging the show comes together when all the pieces are together and can start to "talk" to each other. 

Kat: You were recently in Iceland, your photos looked amazing! Has that trip changed or influenced your inspirations, art design, or even the materials you use? If so, how?
Lana: Yes, I was in Iceland for the Light Grey Art Labs artist residency! So much fun! I love Iceland's raw beauty and can't wait to go back as a guest host for next years residency. Being surrounded by so many creatives is just as inspiring as the location. I will also be participating in the team exhibition next year so I have started research on different lore, animals and floral stories from various parts of the country. The trip has also helped inform my color palette for an upcoming exhibit with Andrew Bell (Rotofugi). I did buy lots of yarns and wool fibers while there, not sure where they will pop up... but I did learn how to crochet while in a van there.

Kat: As a last note, any juicy tidbits you can tell us about the exhibit to whet fans' appetites?? =)
Lana: I have actually been working on a special edition for this exhibition! Something I get requests for quite frequently, an edition of Ouroboros mini skeletons. I can also share a few sneaks from the wonderful artists participating.
Thanks so much for chatting with us Lana!! The sneak peeks (from top to bottom) she kindly provided are from Sinan Soykut, Lauren Marx, Stephanie Metz, and of course, from Lana herself with the Ouroboros mini skeletons! The other participating artists are Jeremy Bastian, Jessica Dalva, Kristina Drake, Matt Hall, Stephanie Inagaki, Darla Jackson, Jennifer Joslin, Jessica Joslin, Caitlin McCormack, Josh Melbourne, Christina Mrozik, Virginie Ropars, Forest Rogers, Tyler Thrasher, Jake Waldron, Kate Walsh, Nicole Watt. Check out their Instagrams for more sneak peeks! Looking forward to seeing all the pieces when the complete show is revealed.