Born in New York City, Craig Rippon received his first art lesson from his father, Reginald, a sculptor and ceramicist.
As the two went on shopping sprees for art supplies, Reginald would detail his family’s artistic heritage in Guadeloupe, whose people and culture are a harmonious fusion of European, African, and East Indian roots. This French style and joie de vivre permeated the islands and Reginald’s artistic legacy for his son.
Craig Rippon finds inspiration in artists such as Kehinde Wiley, Titus Kaphar, Hajime Sorayama, Gil Elvgren, William Bouguereau, Lucian Freud, and Alberto Vargas.
Craig found work as a colorist for Milestone Media, the division of DC Comics founded by African-American writers and artists Denys Cowan, Michael Davis, Derek T. Dingle, and Dwayne McDuffie. He contributed to its superhero series “Icon.” Craig also worked at Valiant Comics and did color work and pencil layouts for other independent companies.
Unfortunately, the feast-or-famine reality of the comic art world and the addition of a wife and children forced Craig to take an extended break from comics. He toiled at the tax accountant firm of Ernst & Young, but his artistic impulses never disappeared even as shifts in culture tempered his personal attitudes. During the years Barack Obama was President, Craig was lulled into what he feels now was a delusionary state regarding how much progress this country has made regarding race.
The subsequent Donald Trump years changed his feelings about being a black man in America, and the itch to pursue his art returned with force. After a long absence, however, he was intimidated by the prospect of painting and was afraid to tackle oils. Part of this stemmed from past masters he admired and the idea that he couldn’t handle the medium seriously. Eventually, he overcame this fear and learned to incorporate modern technology into his work.
Craig turned to painting portraiture and, with his American Woman A Pin-up (Lynching) Series, he is creating images that convey a strong social / political message. Craig’s painting process mainly involves oils along with acrylics. He works from photographs and utilizes Photoshop and Illustrator to create backgrounds, then develops a canvas from the electronic file and paints on top of that.
Craig wants his art to “reflect the truth in a way that people rarely talk about, if at all.” Craig thinks he has found a way to do this in this new career phase. “But I don’t want to talk about it. I’d rather show you. Art has to be experienced.” Craig’s work has been exhibited at the Pause Gallery in Troy, N.Y., and the Bronx River Art Center.