August 30, 2008 
RISD’s Celeste Rapone
Published: April 18, 2007
 
Courtesy of the artist
Celeste Rapone, "Snack-time" ( 2007)
Courtesy of the artist
Celeste Rapone, "Father" (2006)
BFA Candidate in Illustration, graduating June 2007 Rhode Island School of Design Providence, R.I.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT: My philosophy is separation of public commentary and private attraction. After studying illustration for four years, I realized that there are two sides of me that result in two separate products, each of which requires its own mental and physical process. The first is expressed in a more illustrative and satirical style that reflects my personal experiences and views about two specific social issues—Catholicism and medication—as they are integrated into the lives of children, and the artificial lifestyles that ensue. The second, more private subject I am currently exploring is in portraiture and investigating the relationships I have with the subjects I am painting, subjects I have known my whole life and am now connecting with on a more intense level. Concepts: Catholicism Series: Growing up Catholic in northern New Jersey meant taking my religion very seriously (or at least making sure it appeared that way on the surface). As a young child in North Jersey, however, a vital part of being Catholic meant letting everyone else know you were Catholic. This was obviously not done by practicing or abiding by the rules of Catholicism, but in religiously inspired personal decor and embracing the accessibility of going to church or confession once a year around the holidays. This plastic idea of fulfilling one’s Catholic duties as a young boy or girl by materially exhibiting the icons of the religion led to the most superficial and misunderstood displays of Catholicism I have ever encountered. This series, based on my experiences growing up in this environment, is meant to capture the exploitation and convenience of calling oneself “Catholic” in a modern-day society. Medication Series: Access to medication in the lives of children and preadolescents has become a natural way of life. Their lives become altered before they are lived. Many parents are so quick to expose their children to drugs as a “quick fix” for their children so that their behavior can be predicted and controlled. This “need for control” only adds to the overall anxiety the general public has over an object/event/situation that cannot be predetermined. This artificial demeanor created in children replaces their natural selves, and their dependence on meds only remains with them as they mature. They are unable to believe that they can survive without it. This comfort with pill ingestion also allows for the premature use of birth control among young girls. Pills have become an attractive, tempting part of life and create a false maturity in the eyes of adolescents. This has resulted in a new kind of dependence that disguises itself as natural and appealing. Portrait Series: The other half of myself is expressed through portrait painting. There is something so intoxicating and bizarre about further exploring the faces of people I know on such a personal level. In the three years I’ve been using oils, portraiture has afforded me the ability to work with a naturally expressive material on a subject matter I have become obsessed with. The entire process is extremely personal. Faces on their own are already so expressive and allow for so much interpretation. Faces that (we think) we know give the false impression that the piece will have a predictable outcome. It’s finding the unpredictable in a subject one might know like the back of their hand that is the basis for my portraits.
Exhibitions:
October 2005: Illustration Department Biennial, Woods Gerry Gallery, Providence, RI (Group) |
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