Born and raised in Buffalo, New York, Craig LaRotonda received his Bachelor of Fine Art at the State University of New York at Buffalo, where he studied with the internationally renowned illustrator Alan Cober. Currently working as a painter, sculptor and professional illustrator, Craig divides his time between each endeavor.
His provocative and richly layered paintings incorporate mixed media and aging techniques, ultimately creating surreal figurative works with a dark narrative and a grotesque elegance. His distorted creatures are subjects captured in a timeless space; surviving the brutality and beauty of existence.
LaRotonda’s artwork graces the walls of famous homes including collectors in France, Germany, Norway, Mexico, Canada, and the United States. Through his relationship with Film Art LA, his distinctive art appears prominently in five feature-length motion pictures - including the Academy Award winning film “Traffic” directed by Steven Soderbergh and the 2010 release “The Other Guys” staring Will Ferrell and Mark Wahlberg.
LaRotonda’s striking and unique illustrations have been featured in Time Magazine, The Washington Post, The Village Voice, The Progressive, The New York Times and numerous other publications. His work has received awards from the Society of Illustrators (in New York and Los Angeles), Communication Arts and Print Magazine.
Exhibitions include solo shows in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Paris.
EDUCATION
May 1992 S.U.N.Y. at Buffalo; B.F.A. - Illustration Understudy with Alan Cober, Jerry Pinkney, and Kathy Howell
SOLO EXHIBITS (SELECTED)
December 2009- Last Rites Gallery, 'From the Ashes of Angels", NYC
April 2007 - McCaig Welles , "Grotesque Beauty", Brooklyn, NY
October 2006 - Atelier Berner, "Unterwelt" Solo Exhibit, Paris, France
June 2006- Limbo Fine Arts, "Limbo Anniversary Gala III", Solo Exhibit, SanDiego, CA
Feb 2006 - La Luz de Jesus Gallery, “Tyranny of The Flesh” Solo Exhibit” LA, CA
May 2004 - Limbo Fine Arts, “Unearthly Delights” , Solo Show, San Deigo, CA
Oct 2003 - Anno Domini, “Meat Consciousness” – Solo Exhibit, San Jose, CA
June 2002 - MAX Design, “Revelation Studios- Solo Exhibit- Paintings and Sculptures”, San Francisco, CA
March 2002 - Ver Unica, Solo Exhibit “Paintings and Sculptures of Revelation Studios, San Francisco, CA
March 2002 - Matt Rodriguez Showroom, Solo Exhibit “New Works By Revelation Studios”, Los Angeles, CA
April 2001 - Friday The Thirteenth West Gallery, Ushers At The Door OF Perception”, Works by Revelation Stuidos, San Francisco CA
Sept. 1998 - Revelation Gallery, Solo Exhibit, San Francisco. Ca
Nov. 1997 - Vesuvio’s Café, Solo Exhibit, San Francisco, Ca
GROUP EXHIBITS (SELECTED)
October 2010, Last Rites Gallery, "The Thirteenth Hour", New York, NY
September 2010 - Copro Gallery, "Blab Show", Los Angeles, CA
December 2009 - Shadow Space, "The Little Death", Philadelphia, PA
October 2008 - Last Rites Gallery, "The 13th Hour" group exhibit, NYC
October 2008 - Last Rites Gallery, "The 13th Hour" group exhibit, NYC
August 2008 - Black Maria Gallery, "Creeps and Dreamers" a two person show with Jennybird Alcatara, Los Angeles, CA
August 2007 - Nichols School, "A Peculiar Arrangement", Buffalo, NY
June 2007 - McCaig Welles Gallery, "Art Dorks", Brooklyn, NY
June 2007 - The Showroom NYC, "Collabro Show", NYC, NY
May 2007 - Windup Gallery, "The Rising", Mesa, AZ
April 2007 - Bridge Art Fair, Represented by McCaig Welles Gallery, Chicago, IL
March 2007 - Billy Shire Fine Arts - Society of Illustrators 45th Annual Competition, Los Angeles,CA
Jan. 2007 - Black Maria Gallery, "The Eleventh Commandment", Los Angeles, CA
Dec 2006 - Anno Domini, "Fresh Produce" Annual Exhibit, San Jose,CA
Dec 2006 - Bridge Art Fair, Represented by McCaig Welles Gallery, Miami, FLA
June 2006 - MModern Gallery, “Cohorts and Accomplices”, Palm Springs, CA
June 2006 -Thinkspace, “Odd”, Group Exhibit, Los Angeles, CA
May 2006 - Urbis Artium, “Caesurae” Group Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
April 2006 - Billy Shire Fine Arts, Society of Illustrators LA, “Illustration West 44”, Culver City, CA
Jan 2006 - Thinkspace Gallery, “Picks of The Harvest”, Group Exhibit, LA ,CA
Jan 2006 - Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries, “Begin To Continue”, Group Exhibit, Winona, MN
Oct 2005 - Scope London with Ashley Gallery, Group Exhibit, London, England
August 2005 - Garde Rail Gallery, “SnowBall in Hell- Tribute to They Might Be Giants” Group Exhibit, Seattle, WA
July 2005 - MModern Gallery, “Dionysis” Group Exhibit, Palm Springs, CA
April 2005 - 220 Gallery, “Spring Phantasm”, Group Exhibit, NY, NY
March 2005 - La Luz de Jesus Gallery. “Everything But The Kytchen, Sync”, Group Exhibit, LA, CA
March 2005 - Wingnut Gallery, “Major Arcana”, Group Exhibit, Seattle, WA
March 2005 - Maxwell Fine Arts, “Word Wack” , Group Exhibit, Peekskill, NY
March 2005 - MModern Gallery, “Modern Love II”, Group Exhibit, Palm Springs, CA
Feb 2005 - Track 16 Gallery “Eye of The Illuminati”, Group Exhibit, Santa Monica, CA
Jan 2005 - Progress Space Gallery, “State of The Art”, Remmers Productions, Pomona, CA
Dec 2004 - Society of Illustrators, “2 nd Biennial Dimensional Salon” NY, NY
Oct 2004 - Varnish Fine Art, “Fly in The Ointment”, 3 Man Show, San Francisco, CA
Oct 2004 - MModern Gallery, “Things With Wings”, Group Exhibit, Palm Springs, CA
August 2004 - Skeleton Art Gallery “ Thunder Lizard Sushi Stomp- (Curated by Craig LaRotonda and Sean Christopher) ”, Santa Fe, NM
Sept. 2004 - Wild Banana Project, “International Underground” Group Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
Sept. 2004 - MModern Gallery, “Illuminated Delusions”, 5 Person Exhibit, Palm Springs, CA
August 2004 - Varnish Fine Art, “Bay Area Sculpture Show” Group Show, San Francisco, CA
July 2004 - Copro Nason Gallery, “Eye of The Illiminati”, Group Exhibit, Culver City, CA
July 2004 - MModern Gallery, “999 Show”, Group Exhibit, Palm Springs, CA
June 2004 -Ashley Gallery, “Summer Phantasm”, Group Show, Philadelphia, PA
May 2004 - The Shooting Gallery, “ Tokyo Monster Show”, Group Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
May 2004 - Roq La Rue, “Now We Are Six”, Group Exhibit, Seattle, WA
April 2004 - Skeleton Art Gallery, “Nightmare Engines” Santa Fe, NM
April 2004 - Tangent Gallery, “ The Bay Area Show”, Group Exhibit, Detroit, MI
March 2004 - La Luz de Jesus Gallery, “Everything But The Kitchen Sync” Group Exhibit, LA, CA
Feb 2004 - The Toyroom Gallery, “Religion vs. Allegory” Group Exhibit, Sacramento, CA
Feb 2004 - MModern Gallery, “Modern Love” Group Exhibit, Palm Springs, CA
Feb 2004 - 220 Gallery, Group Exhibit, NY, NY
Dec 2003 - Anno Domini, “Fresh Produce” Group Exhibit, San Jose, CA
Dec 2003 - Skeleton Art Gallery, “Grand Opening”- Group Exhibit, Santa Fe, NM
Oct 2003 - Varnish Fine Art, “Creep Show”, Group exhibit, San Francisco, CA
Oct 2003 - Anno Domini Gallery, "Meat Consciousness", Revelation Studios solo exhibit, San Jose, CA
Sept. 2003 -Limner Gallery, "Recent Work", group exhibit, New York, NY
August 2003 - Shooting Gallery, "The Gun Show"- Group Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
July 2003 - Culture Cache Gallery, “Get Your War Off”-Group Exhibit, curated by Craig LaRotonda and Silvia Stephenson
May 2003 - Society of Illustrators Main Gallery - RSVP’s “Dreams”- Group Exhibit, New York, NY
May 2003 - Start SOMA Gallery, “Propaganda” - Group Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
April 2003 - Start SOMA Gallery, “East West” - Group Exhibit San Francisco, CA
March 2003 - Luz de Jesus Gallery “Non Commercial Art By Commercial Artists”, Los Angeles, CA
Jan 2003 - 111 Minna Gallery, “Sci-Fi Western Show”, San Francisco, CA
Dec 2002 - Anno Domini Gallery, “Nomelossen”, San Jose, CA
Dec 2002 - Coulter Young Gallery, Group Exhibition, Peekskill, NY
Dec 2002 - Society of Illustrators N.Y. “First Biennial Dimensional Salon”, NYC
October 2002 - G2 Gallery, 3 Person Exhibit-Craig LaRotonda, Kim Maria and Jack Howe “Saints & Sinners, Scottsdale, AZ
October 2002 - C POP Gallery, “My Hero”-Superhero group exhibit, Detroit, MI
Sept. 2002 - Slow Art, Performing Arts and Exhibition, San Francisco, CA
June 2002 - House Of Red, “Group Exhibit”- Grand Opening, San Francisco, CA
April 2002 - C POP Gallery, “Circus Sideshow” Group Exhibit, Detroit, MI
March 2002 - La Luz de Jesus Gallery “Non Commercial Art By Commercial Artists”, Los Angeles, CA
Dec. 2001 - Bradford Campbell Gallery, “Group Salon Exhibition”, San Francisco, CA
Oct. 2001 - Culture Cache Gallery, “Born Again” Four Assemblage Artist Exhibit, San Francisco, CA
Sept. 2001 - Benefit Art Auction, The New York Times Neediest Cases Fund, Los Angeles , CA
August 2001 - La Luz de Jesus Gallery, “Los Angeles Friends Of Tibet- Benefit & Auction”, Los Angeles, CA
July 2001 - Butterfields, “Art For Aids” Benefit & Auction, San Francisco, CA
March 2001 - La Luz de Jesus Gallery, “Uncommercial Art By Commercial Artists” Los Angeles , CA
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS:
Time Magazine
Universal Pictures
Prometheus Books
MGM Films
The Progressive
NY Times
US Airways
LA Times
Harvard Business Review
New Republic
Reader's Digest
San Francisco Chronicle
The Village Voice
Traffic East
American Airlines
Outburn Magazine
Unexplored.com
Miami New Times
American Lawyer Magazine
Washington Post
New Times Los Angeles
San Francisco Bay Guardian
Smart Partner Magazine
Senoir Market Advisor
AARP
USA Films
San Francisco Weekly
Southwest Airlines
Dallas Observer
On Earth
Optomize Magazine
The Advocate
Print Magazine
Communication Arts
Chief Security Officer
Craig LaRotonda 2009:
My figurative works are introspective and meditative interpretations of the human condition imbued with a sense of time. I paint in a method using ‘spiritual technology’ utilizing my subconscious and drawing from a greater source outside myself. The Flemish figurative paintings of the 15th and 16th centuries are an inspiration to me in their subtle but precise brushwork and I often draw upon the sublime nature of these extraordinary works all the while maintaining a style that is contemporary. My artwork explores the unspeakable nature of human consciousness and the experience of life and death.
