Scott Kraynak
Though often told to concentrate on one medium, one subject matter, or even one style, I just can't help but constantly expand my range as an artist, follow my heart and do what I want. My biggest passions in life are the environment, my hometown of Cleveland, as well as fighting for causes I believe in. Much of my work would fall under these categories. But my interest in music has led me to create work for bands such as Flogging Molly and Murder By Death; my interest in horror and the macabre has led me to use antique photographs and prints as canvas's for paintings and create a series of dark, creepy, risque photography. Recently I have been experimenting with stenciling and adding spray paint to drawings, adding an element of collage to pieces utilizing vintage comic books, antique magazines and children's books. My work is constantly evolving and though it varies greatly, one thing my art has in common is that it comes from my heart and reflects a deeply held passion of mine.
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My work has been exhibited throughout the United States and the world. Some of my pieces are in permanent collections such as: Cleveland Heights Libraries, Country of Taiwan, Grand Canyon National Park, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Safnasafnid: The Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum (Akureyri), Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum (Ohio State University), actors Joey Lauren Adams, Sid Haig (Rest in Piece) and . I have illustrated and developed numerous books including The heART of Cleveland, my personal celebration of my wonderful hometown which the Plain Dealer hails as "the coolest book they have ever read", Unconquerable Desires and Connections. My brother and I created the graphic novel Animal Crackers which has had nationwide success. I illustrated the book Truck Farm, based on Ian Cheney's award winning film of the same name. Ian Cheney is the genius behind the hit documentary King Corn. I am a proud contributor to the Harvey Award nominated graphic novel 27 Club as well.
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I have a couple new exciting projects that are currently in development stages, so stay tuned!
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CV
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SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2018 e11even2 gallery (Cleveland, OH) The heART of Cleveland book exhibit, (July-Aug)
2016 All Weird Days (Seattle, WA), solo exhibit,
2014 Yaybig Gallery (Tucson, AZ) "Animal Crackers" (March)
2013 Flagstaff Public Library (Flagstaff, AZ) solo exhibit (Sept)
2013 The HIve (Flagstaff, AZ) Animal Crackers Book release and exhibit (April)
2013 Mountain Oasis (Flagstaff, AZ) solo exhibit (March)
2012 Bluff Arts Festival, Gallery at Comb Ridge Coffee (Bluff, UT) "Life's Festive Scene"(Oct)
2011 Marric Studios (Flagstaff, AZ) solo exhibit (Oct)
2011 Eye Candy Gallery (Cleveland, OH), solo exhibit, (June)
2011 Vino Loco (Flagstaff, AZ) solo exhibit (July)
2010 Artist Coalition of Flagstaff Gallery (Flagstaff, AZ) solo exhibit (Sept)
2010 Sedona Arts Center (Sedona, AZ) Small Works Exhibition (Nov 2009-Jan 2010)
2009 Biscayne National Park (Homestead, FL), "Inspired" (July-Sept)
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS AND EVENTS
2019 Bay Arts (Cleveland, OH), The heART of Cleveland (curator and exhibitor)
2019 e11even2 Gallery (Cleveland, OH), "7.20.69" (juried)
2019 Bay Arts (Cleveland, OH), Spring Group Exhibit (juried)
2018 SPACE Convention exhibitor (Columbus, OH)
2017 Museum of Contemporary Art (Cleveland, OH) BOUND exhibitor (juried)
2017 Genghis Con (Cleveland, OH) exhibitor
2017 La Luz de Jesus (Los Angeles, CA), "Coaster Show" (Sept)
2017 Aniche Gallery (Hood River, OR), group exhibit
2017 e11even2 Gallery (Cleveland, OH), "STEP Right UP!!" (July)
2017 Hawthorne Theatre (Portland, OR), Pancakes and Booze (June)
2017 e11even2 Gallery (Cleveland, OH), "Rock, Paper, Scissors, Rock" (April)
2017 Aniche Gallery (Hood River, OR), "Carnal Love" (Feb)
2017 Crypticon Convention exhibitor (Seattle, WA)
2017 Monster-Mania Convention exhibitor (Hunt Valley, MD)
2016 Rose City Comic Con exhibitor (Portland, OR)
2016 Safnasafnid, The Icelandic Fok and Outsider Art Museum (Akureyri, Iceland) yearlong juried exhibit
2016 The Artful Activist, "If you can't stand It, Stand Up!" exhibit, juried (Dec)
2016 Inspiration Pollination (Florida), juried exhibit (Dec)
2016 Columbia Center for the Arts (Hood River, OR) "Day of the Dead" (Nov)
2016 El Corazon (Seattle, WA), Pancakes and Booze (Nov)
2016 Gay and Lesbian Center of S. Nevada (Las Vegas, NV), "From Vegas with Love" (Nov)
2016 Seattle Erotic Arts Festival (Seattle, Wa), "Seduction" (Oct)
2016 Scarecrow Video (Seattle, WA), "Swapping Dead" (Oct)
2016 Negative Space Gallery (Cleveland, OH), "Art of the People" (July)
2016 The Remains Gallery (Hood River, OR), "The Big Deuce" (July)
2016 The Remains Gallery (Hood River, OR), group exhibit (June)
2016 Columbia Center for the Arts (Hood River, OR) "Earth,Wind and Fire" (April)
2016 Seattle Erotic Arts Festival (Seattle, WA), group exhibit (Mar)
2016 Scream and Ink Convention exhibitor (Salem, OR)
2016 Crypticon Convention exhibitor (Seattle, WA)
2015 C2E2 Convention (Chicago, IL), Artist's Alley exhibitor
2015 Rose City Comic Con exhibitor (Portland, OR)
2015 Living Dead Convention exhibitor (Portland, OR)
2014 Orpheum Theatre (Flagstaff, AZ) Orionid Meteor Shower Soiree and Exhibit (Oct)
2014 Tuscon Festival of Books exhibitor (Tucson, AZ)
2014 New York Comic Con (New York, NY), exhibitor
2014 SPACE exhibitor (Columbus, OH)
2014 ARK Gallery (New York, NY), "Monster IV Art Show" (Nov)
2013 Wildbird Fund (New York, NY), group exhibit (Sept)
2013 Blackbird Studios (Las Vegas, NV) "The Greatest Show on Earth" (June)
2013 Coconino Center for the Arts (Flagstaff, AZ) Recycled Art Exhibit (April)
2012 Sideshow Gallery (Dolores, CO)
2012 FearCon Convention exhibitor (Phoenix, AZ)
2012 Mountain Oasis (Flagstaff, AZ) solo exhibit (May)
2011 Animas Beads (Flagstaff, AZ) "Wildlife Exhibit" (Dec)
2011 Animas Beads (Flagstaff, AZ) "Wolves in Art", poster artist and exhibitor (Oct)
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Cleveland Heights Libraries, Country of Taiwan, Grand Canyon National Park, DLR (German Aerospace Center), Safnasafnid: The Icelandic Folk and Outsider Art Museum (Akureyri), Billy Ireland Cartoon Museum (Ohio State University, Columbus, OH)
MEDIA, CURATORIAL, MISC
Concert poster designs for Flogging Molly and Murder By Death. Album cover design for The Bunny Gang. T-shirt design for Murder By Death
My books are in the permanent collection at Columbia University, Crystal Bridges Museum, Cleveland Heights Libraries, New York City Public Libraries, NYU, Kent State University, John Carrol University, Stanford University, Cleveland Museum of Art.
Artwork used by the Taiwan National Park Service for promotional purposes during National Park Week.
Published books: International Artists Co. (ICA Publishing), 27 Club (Red Stylo/Action Lab), Connections (Sunday Comix), Truck Farm, Animal Crackers, Unconquerable Desires, The Deadly Darlings and their Naughty Adventures, cover artist for Grand Canyon Ghost Stories (Riverbend Publishing)
Cover artist for The Noise, Flagstaff, AZ (March 2013)
Reviews in: Jade Magazine, Cleveland Plain Dealer, Cliche Magazine,
Art featured in The Action Guide to Preservation, published by the National Park Service (Grand Canyon National Park, U.S. Dept. of Interior)
Art featured in scientific paper "Response and Responsibility: Humans as apex predators and ethical actors in a changing societal environment". Published in Food Webs. (Sept. 2016)
2016 The Huffington Post, interview (June)
2016 Safnasafnid Museum Catalogue (Akureyri, Iceland)
2016 Negative Space Gallery (Cleveland, OH), Art of the People catalogue
2016 The Maniacal Geek Podcast, Samantha Cross
2015 Catalogue, Con Corso Buenos Aires, 7th edition
2015 Catalogue, International Contemporary Artists, Vol. 10, ICA Publishing, NY,NY
2014 theouthousers.com, Animal Cracker's book review
2013 Las Vegas City Life (Las Vegas, NV) exhibit/book review (Nov)
2013 High Country News (Paonia, CO) book review (Aug)
2013 Blackbird Studios (Las Vegas, NV) The Greatest Show on Earth catalogue (June)
2013 Grand Canyon News, interview (June)
2013 The Noise (Flagstaff, AZ) book/exhibit review (April)
2013 The Noise (Flagstaff, AZ) article/review (March)
2010 The Noise (Flagstaff, AZ) exhibit review (Sept)
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
Scott has had a passion for art and nature since going camping and canoeing at State and National Parks and taking art classes at the Cleveland Museum of Art as a kid. Today Scott is a Park Ranger and professional artist, who has been represented by numerous galleries throughout the country, and has had extensive exhibits of his work from coast to coast. Scott's work has been shown and is in permanent collections throughout the world.
Though interested in creating and working with many different types of subject matter (album covers, concert posters, vintage photographs, erotic photography) and utilizing many different mediums, Scott's main passion for his art is celebrating the natural world, from grand landscapes and bears to the little creatures often overlooked like lizards and birds. Everything is connected and everything depends on a healthy environment. Scott has donated artwork to numerous environmental organizations and fundraisers. He will continue to create art, some controversial some not, that capture the fragile beauty of our diverse planet and the horrible acts of human ignorance and greed done everyday that is destroying this beauty. His other main interests center around celebrating his hometown of Cleveland, fighting for social issues he is passionate about, and unleashing his "dark side" through photography and works on antique photographs and other publications
Recently Scott has been very busy creating various books: Truck Farm, based on King Corn director Ian Cheney's film of the the same name, Animal Crackers, a "children's book for adults" he created with his brother Jeff, as well as two photography books, Unconquerable Desires and The Deadly Darlings and their Naughty Adventures. Scott's work has appeared in the nationally published and Harvey Award nominated 27, Connections, and two international collections of artists' works. He just finished he largest project to date The heART of Cleveland, a book celebrating not only Scott's hometown, but the artists born there and art inspired by the city. It has been widely acclaimed and sold throughout the city.
Though often told to concentrate on one medium, one subject matter, or even one style, Scott can't help but constantly expand his range as an artist, follow his heart and do what he wants. His love of music has led him to create work for bands such as Flogging Molly and Murder By Death; his interest in horror and the macabre has led him to use antique photographs as canvas's for paintings, and his passion for the environment and social issues has led to the creation of many powerful and controversial pieces reflecting Scott's views on these subjects. Though his work varies greatly, one thing it all has in common is that it comes from his heart and reflects a deeply held passion of his. Scott firmly believes that art is meant to cause a commotion, make people think, and sometimes create discomfort. Especially in the time (and country) we are living in right now, art is more important than ever to raise awareness to the atrocities that are happening to the planet and its people.