Some Memories of David J. Craven, 1946-2016
By Tony VanderPark
York University Class of 1977
October 1 2023
We recently made a trip to the Baltimore Museum of Art to see its substantial Henri Matisse collection. Knowing of my high regard for David Craven, my daughter had taken the initiative to look him up on the web around the same time and discovered he had passed away in 2016. For me this was a real misfortune to learn of the loss of this great artistic talent and, if I may say so, friend. Over the years (since the late 70’s) I often talked in my home with my family about the impact he had on me when I was his student, and for his overt admiration of Matisse. My daughter Sylvanna, the same one who informed me of David’s death, organized this excursion to Baltimore from Virginia, taking along my wife Maria and granddaughter Vivian, to see the large Matisse collection. In a subtle way, this was my time to pay respect to David, albeit 7 years after his demise. Baltimore city center is awash with graffiti and decay, but it also feels very calm on a Saturday afternoon. The Museum of Art has charm and the Matisse collection is presented with dignity.
I was a studio major in visual art at York University (Toronto, Canada) in 1975-77 and David was a guest (1/2 term) drawing instructor. For me he was a breath of fresh air. He was a serious person who respected the ambitions of others to succeed as visual artists. He introduced our class to the writings of Clement Greenberg, explaining and expanding upon the progression of modern art, so that we could better understand our initiatives in the context of other relatively recent artists, especially the established giants. As stated, Henri Matisse impressed him immensely. David would refer to… (i) his use of the canvas surface without making an overt effort to establish a 3-D space… (ii) his use of definitive lines… and most acutely (iii) his willingness to include decorative elements such as wallpaper.
In the first class he suggested we go see a group show of new Canadian artists at the AGO. Without checking the name plates of the artists, I reported back that I liked 2 similar paintings best, which “looked like spaghetti, and yet appeared to be light and energetic.” He responded that in fact this was his work and on top of that, no one had ever described his art quite that way. This was the start of a friendship which involved plenty of sarcasm and humor. David gave us tasks and would then follow up with his honest opinion. For one such project the challenge was to produce a fresh take on Jasper Johns’ 1961 “Map,” using graphite on paper. Although he found merit in my effort, he thought I was heavy handed with the graphite and called me a butch, which I thought was so funny. He also chastised me for my cheap, green cigars. We did in fact have substantial mutual respect that allowed for this banter; I never felt like he was out to offend anyone.
David could talk at length about other artists and brought in guests. He also loved to describe his experiences in New York City. He made the life of an artist sound magical.
At some point I had made a jump from non-figurative to stylized portraiture. David saw two of my paintings and remarked that there was potential, and offered to make an introduction in New York City.
I had existing commitments with 2 very young children, so I did not follow through but it was a marvelous experience to be his pupil and great compliment to be offered the introduction, and I have since enjoyed a very fulfilling career as an industrial designer / manufacturer.
The Baltimore Museum of Art was a pleasant outing and the café had excellent food. Having experienced so many Matisse, Van Gouge and Renoir paintings, all of us in our little group were feeling calm and civilized. The Matisse color pallet and brush work was superlative.
Thank you, David Craven, you have enriched all our lives.
My regards and condolences go out to his family. He is missed.
