Eli Craven (b. 1979) is an artist based in Lafayette, Indiana, 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.