Three Paintings by Michael Craden
Donated by the Celeste and Emil Richards Estate.

Michael Craden (1941-1982), is best remembered by percussionists as a member of Nexus, especially for his improvisations on drums and "toys" during the ensemble's ragtime performances. However, Craden's real passion was graphic art, which brought him to the Chouinard Art Institute in Los Angeles.

Through friendships with Emil Richards, Don and Rowena Preston, Paul Beaver, and later Harry Partch, Craden begin to synthesize his art with a passion for music. Exposed to Indian rhythms by New Delhi tabla and sitar musician Hari-Har Rao, he began to assimilate and process numerical patterns, mathematical ratios, microtonal tuning, and rhythm as inherently related to art before his move to Toronto, where he became acquainted with the members of Nexus.

PAS Hall of Fame member Emil Richards credits Craden as being "one of the forbearers of the free-form art movement of the early '60s." In remembering Craden, Richards wrote in 1996: "My favorite memory of him is that most of his artwork made me laugh. There was such humor in his art. And there was nothing he couldn’t do rhythmically. In the Indian system, we never had to worry about quarter notes, eighth notes, any of that. All we did was play these elaborate patterns of numbers. He started to get into art with his rhythms, too, toward the end. He was a very talented man."

-- Otice C. Sircy, PAS Museum Curator & Librarian, and James Strain, PAS Historian

Bliss Conscious Vibe Player
Oil on canvas (c. 1964)
22" x 32"
2003-01-01

The First Mallet Player
Ink on paper (c. 1973)
18" x 24"
2003-01-02

Stone Marimba Player
Ink wash on paper (c. 1968)
28" x 22"
2004-01-01