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A graduate of the State University of New York at Buffalo in 1992, Craig studied illustration with the late famed illustrator, Alan Cober. After moving west in 1997, Craig began collaborating with his soon-to-be wife and fellow artist, Kim Maria. Their combined artistic talents - Craig's sculpting and mold making skills that he learned in Florence, Italy, and Kim's eye for finding found objects - resulted in a unique blend of hand-sculpted and found-object assemblages that they exhibit in galleries, in their studio, and online at revelationart.net. With more than 60 collaborative pieces, they have an impressive, wide-ranging body of work that includes iconic monkeys, sideshow freaks, mummified heads, and ancient saints. They have shown their original works in such diverse cities as San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Detroit, Philadelphia and New York. When Craig isn't collaborating with Kim on sculpture, or creating paintings for upcoming gallery exhibits, he's making illustrations for some of the biggest clients in the business, including The New York Times, Time magazine, The Washington Post, American Lawyer Magazine, The Progressive, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, Harvard Business Review, The Village Voice, Reader's Digest, American Airlines, MGM, and Universal Pictures. His numerous awards have come from Print Magazine Design Annual, Communications Arts Illustration Annual, RSVP Illustration Competition, Society of Illustrators, Society of Illustrators Los Angeles, and the Association of Alternative Newsweeklies. Craig spoke to altpick from Revelations Studio in San Francisco, where he and Kim live and work, alongside their two dogs, and an eclectic assortment of vintage photos, bones, religious objects, and bizarre-looking dolls.
My illustration style has evolved a lot over the years. A few years ago I was using color photographs from magazines to collage and paint over. The result was quirky but not really what I wanted to do. I would spend hours looking for that correct position of a hand or head. It would drive me crazy. A friend of mine dropped off some old magazines from the 1940s and 50s. I really liked the people in the ads. They all seemed to be too happy and unaware that there was a world happening outside. It left an unexpected effect on my images. I really started to incorporate the styles and clothes from that era into my illustrations. It was then that I developed a few characters that have appeared over and over in my newer work. What is the first thing you do when you are given an assignment? It depends on what the art director gives me. In an editorial piece I might be given a short description of the topic or I might be given the whole article. The first thing I do is read the piece to see if there are any images that pop right out from the language. There might be a word or phrase that is instantly a visual. I really try to strip down the meaning of the piece to simplify the possibilities visually. Some of the jobs that I get are quite complex in content and I might not have knowledge of the topic. You do a lot of learning by researching the topic. The next thing I do is look for images in my reference stockpile that I think might be applicable. The Internet is a great source for me when it comes to photo reference. How has technology influenced your process? I have been using a computer for a few years now to scan in old photographs and manipulate them with ease. I really enjoy working on the computer for a few reasons: I used to go to the copy store and spend a lot of time and money making copies that I might not even use, but with a home computer and printer I can print what I want when I want it. The ability to manipulate images, to change the color or size of an element is an invaluable tool for me. I resisted the idea of using a computer for years because I like to draw and paint. Now I use the computer for the photo elements and draw in the rest. It gives my work a distinct look as well.
Explorations of the human condition. People are definitely the focus of my illustrations and paintings. The conflict of being human is universally captivating and humans like to make art about their own experiences. I create figurative works that have a timeless element to them with some sort of emotional conflict. I guess my love for 15th and 16th century European painting combined with 50s retro elements and color has given my work an old look. How does the work you sell in galleries differ from the illustrations you create for clients? My illustrations are often humorous and generally have a brighter palette. I also use retro hairdos in my illustrations. My personal work that I exhibit in galleries is largely more somber and esoteric. What is the ideal project for you? I love music almost as much as I love the visual medium. So creating the artwork for a music CD for maybe one of my favorite bands would be fantastic. Or I'd really like to work on a music video. I helped art direct an independent film a few years ago and haven't stopped thinking about it. It would satisfy my interest in the visual medium along with my love for music. Do you feel that your work is a reflection of what is happening, politically and socially? It's inevitable that politics and current events affect my artwork. One of the reasons I think I get a lot of calls to do political illustrations is that my work does have a social consciousness to it. I am definitely moved by global political events and social views. I made a few overtly political pieces in the last two years that reflect the U.S. war in Iraq and organized a group show around the theme. What do you think is the biggest challenge facing illustrators today? Getting noticed with something new to offer. There are so many illustrators now it seems that it is a challenge to stand out in the crowd. I think developing a strong individual style is really important. Are there hidden messages in your work? Sometimes, especially in my paintings. I like subtle messages and obscured metaphors. It's fun to include things in a piece of artwork that the viewer might not ever figure out. It keeps a sense of mystery to the work. There is a sculpture Kim and I made together that has an old metal box in it with a little rusty lock. We put a secret object inside the box and locked it. We don't have a key. No one will ever know what's in there, I guess, unless they smash it open.
I've recently completed a painting to be published in Spain as the cover for Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula. I am also working on paintings for an upcoming solo show at La Luz de Jesus Gallery in 2006. What inspires you? Science, current events, music, films, books, spiritual teachings, and other artists. My favorites are Odd Nerdrum, Gottfried Helnwein, William Bouguereau and Joel-Peter Witkin. What is your escape from work? I love cooking. My favorite cuisines are Indian, Thai, and Italian. When things get hairy in the studio I take the dogs to the beach and smell the salty air. I also like to garden, listen to music, and look for frogs. >> See more work from Revelation Studios >> See other member spotlights on the member spotlight index >> Find out more on how to become an altpick.com member |
