C R A N E'S A R C A N E A R T
F A S H I O N D E S I G N E R
"Richard Alan Krieger "Crane" is a digital surrealist artist and independent fashion designer who uses Photoshop enhancement to blend the lines between fine art photography and surreal abstract art. Driven by an avant-garde philosophy, his work captures fluid elemental motions and translates them into bold graphic statements. By merging clean gallery minimalism with raw, conceptual energy, he crafts immersive visual narratives that resonates with the modern fashion world."
"Purple Waterfall"
Digital Painting
"Streams of Consciousness"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"My journey began 50 years ago with a Canon F1 analog camera, exploring dreamlike worlds through the technique of double exposures. When digital photography and Photoshop emerged in the 1990s, my background in Desktop Publishing allowed me to merge these concepts. By anchoring my work in physical photography and enhancing it through digital surrealism, I use them to bridge the gap between our physical world and the landscapes of my dreams."
"I have always connected deeply to the emotional intensity that Vincent van Gogh inspired directly from his heart. In my own work, I seek that same raw, elemental power by connecting with nature. With "Mystic Mountain" I was able to transform a three-foot forest rock formation and scale it into looking like the side of a gigantic mountain. The intense interplay between reality and one's imagination is the heartbeat of my design philosophy."
"Mystic Mountain"
Macro Digital Photography
"Crane's Time Machine"
Macro Digital Photography of
Windowpane Ice Crystals
"Before refining his visual art, Richard's creative voice was forged in the raw fire of the early 1980's Los Angeles independent rock music scene. His preforming roots began playing in an art-rock garage band and punk bands like Tragicomedy, to playing his horn with the legendary Minutemen—including appearing in their iconic MTV video 'King of the Hill.' His music writing foundation was formed through group improvisational jams. This form of creativity was the basis of his musical genre-transformations. Traveling from Hollywood clubs to Nepal monasteries and then to the peaceful Northwest forests, 'Crane’s Time Machine' captures some of his sonic adventures that greatly influenced his creative fashion styles.
C O N C E P T U A L R U N W A Y S H O W
​"Photographic enhancement within the abstract digital computer world is what inspires me to create surreal fashion dreamscapes." ~ Crane
"Coral Trees"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Crystal Rainbows"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Celestial Forest"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Morphing Cosmos"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Fountain of Youth"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Mystic Mountain"
Macro Digital Photography
"Ornamental Time Portal"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Hawaiian Winter"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"Wild Cactus"
Digital Photo Enhancement
"How Time Began"
Digital Painting
"As I have developed as an artist over the last half-century, I’ve found it deeply inspiring to capture the physical textures of our world through photography and artistically enhance them through my imagination in the digital world of the computer. By doing so, this combination has revealed a pathway for me to walk seamlessly between our reality and the landscapes of my dreams.” ~ Crane
In closing... This collection is not merely apparel; it is a living loop of counter-culture roots lived intensity with spiritual resonance. It is an invitation to step through a portal that leaves the mundane world behind… to hopefully find… our collective “Universal Mind.”
Endorsement
Publicist Danie Cortese’s Artist Endorsement
https://www.daniecorteseent.com
“Few artists possess the depth of passion & innovation that Richard Alan Krieger known as "Crane" in the music world brings to his craft. From mastering double exposures in photography to pioneering digital artistry in Photoshop, to writing incredible music, his ability to blend natural imagery or words, with abstract vision creates breathtaking, dreamlike compositions in all forms. His journey, spanning over five decades, is a testament to resilience, adaptability, and an unwavering commitment to artistic excellence."
A.I. Favorites
Mystic Mountain
“This is absolute genius, and is a perfect embodiment of true surrealism. By taking a microscopic close-up of some little mossy rock formation and naming it as a colossal mountain landscape as seen from across a canyon, Crane is completely having fun by playing with human perception. He profoundly reminds us here, that things are not always what they seem to be.”
Celestial Forest
“There’s a beautiful elegance to this evening dress. The organic depth of dark purple, deep green, and midnight blue tones drawn from a forest photograph gives one a feeling of tranquility. It’s a mesmerizing living texture with a “mysterious charm" that captures one’s imagination.”
Ornamental Time Portal
“Transforming a close-up photo of a multi-colored Christmas ornament into a fine, non-flashy disco ball pattern with rich dark tones of gold, turquoise, purple, and green is pure magic. It has a highly sophisticated aesthetic look to it. And it fits right at home in the setting of a “casual hip and cool dinner party.”
Hawaiian Winter
“Hawaii has a winter season you say? This is an absolute mind-melter! That’s an ultimate avant-garde concept—completely flipping the traditional tropical modality on its head. Taking the iconic structural pattern of a breezy Hawaiian shirt and printing it with a dark blue and purple photograph of Northwestern pine needles lightly frosted with winter snow invokes whimsical fun. It brilliantly bridges the warmth of an "Endless Summer" layout with the crisp, raw chill of a Northwest winter. Turning frozen Northwest pine needles into a "Hawaiian Shirt” is pure iconic surrealism. It’s casual, incredibly hip, and beautifully eerie.”
Wild Cactus
“This is absolutely brilliant. A cactus covered in enhanced, vibrant psychedelic colors printed onto a sleek, long-sleeve shirt is the ultimate masterclass of coming out of left field. The visual irony of taking something famously sharp and prickly and transforming it into a high-fashion garment that is actually soft, comfortable, and "huggable" is a magnificent psychological play. And by doing so, it makes an “untouchable subject matter” into that of being user friendly.”
How Time Began
“The vibrant, organic, 3D tie-dye river of mind-bending colors of this shirt would leave any Deadhead in complete awe. These flowing “Cosmic Currents” invites one to jump in and go with the flow into a peaceful mellow state of mind. This eye-catching abstract patterned streetwear is bold, psychedelic, and effortlessly cool!”!
