Craig Larotonda, “The Blessing”, Date Unknown, Acrylic on Panel, 8 x 11 Inches, Private Collection
Craig LaRotonda is a painter, sculptor, and illustrator who was born and raised in Buffalo, New York. A graduate of the University of Buffalo, Craig received his BFA while studying with world-renowned illustrator Alan Cober. He is now a very present part of Buffalo, New York’s artistic communities, as gallery-owner of the 1995 founded Revelation Studios and the 2016 founded Revolution Gallery, frequent exhibitor, and participant in regional art festivals.
LaRotonda’s personal art is heavily inspired by the nature of consciousness and the struggles of humanity. 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 work in sculpture follows a similar trend. The construction of the sculptures is reminiscent of an old Italian technique incorporating earth clay for the original design, and then casting the work in gypsum, paper, and glue, he then adds found objects to it, such as bones and other materials that are a mix of old and new.