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James Croak (born 1951) is a visual artist known for his work in conceptual art and sculpture.
Croak's work was featured in Thomas McEvilley's book Sculpture in the Age of Doubt, and also in a book dedicated entirely to Croak's work entitled James Croak, published by the same author. In 2011 he was featured at the Wellcome Collection in London, UK as a part of an exhibition entitled "Dirt". The work exhibited was designed to cause a strong emotional reaction in the onlooker: a review of his work at this show by The Guardian newspaper's art critic Laura Cumming stated that, "It would be hard to overstate the physical effect of James Croak's… sculpture". The sculpture was an example of his "dirt sculpture" technique, which employs a mixture of binder and different kinds of dirt, dust, and soil. According to the artist, the material was developed out of necessity, stating that in 1985, "I wanted to cast a full-size self–portrait, but I couldn't afford bronze, so I walked down the street to an empty lot, dug up dirt, put it in a wheelbarrow, took it home, mixed it with glue, and pressed it into the plaster mold." He has also been known to work with found objects and taxidermy. A twenty-year retrospective of his work was held in 1998 at the Contemporary Art Center of Virginia.
The transition from aluminum to dirt as a medium gave his work a harder and rougher feel than his prior works. In each medium Croak has designed his works in a Serial imagery. Some examples of his series include the Dirt Man series, the Dirt Baby series, and the Dirt Window series. Croak is also a published writer, with essays appearing in the books This Will Make You Smarter: New Scientific Concepts to Improve Your Thinking and Is the Internet Changing the Way you Think?: The Net's Impact on our Minds and Future, both edited by John Brockman. An additional essay was published in the book Afterwords, a compilation put together by Salon.com featuring the works of its contributors, which Croak has been one on occasion. He is also an online contributor and conference participant to the non-profit intellectual organization Edge.org, the membership of which is composed of highly accomplished thinkers in both the arts and sciences from different corners of the world. His works are also available at the website Artnet. According to art critic Carlos Suarez de Jesus, themes involved in Croak's work often include death, social instability, and the finite nature of human life. Another recurring theme in his work is ancient mythology. Mr. Croak's essays and art work now appear in over 32 books. In addition, James Croak is an avid pilot and has an American commercial pilot license.
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