Eli Craven (b. 1979) is an artist based in Lafayette, Indiana and an Assistant Professor of Photography at Purdue University.
Craven works conceptually with photographic images by re-evaluating the physical and psychological potential of the picture through sculptural and digital interventions. The works exist somewhere between the image and the object, attempting to connect the representation to some form of reality. The artist´s interest lies in the ubiquitous and mundane imagery of family portraiture, self-help books, and instructional guides, which, upon close inspection, allude to a range of human fears and emotions. The research begins with the acts of looking and collecting and then progresses to a critical investigation of the image and its relationship to ideologies of sexuality, desire, and death.
Craven is exhibited nationally and internationally, most recently at KlompChing Gallery in Brooklyn, New York, at the South Bend Museum of Art's 31st Biennial, and at Feinkunst Krüger Gallery in Hamburg, Germany. His work has also been widely published. Select publications and clients include Philosophie Magazine, The Journal of Curriculum and Pedagogy, Gestalten Publishing Berlin, Penguin Random House Barcelona, and The Paris National Opera.