Curtis Ripley lives and works in Los Angeles, California. He holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from Texas Tech University and a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of Wisconsin. Curtis Ripley has been a lecturer, an assistant professor and an associate professor at several universities in the United States. His awards include a National Endowment for the Arts Artists Fellowship (1979) and a Juror’s Award, Zeichnung Heute, Kunsthalle, Nurnberg (1983). He has had numerous solo exhibitions throughout the United States, has participated in a wide variety of group exhibitions, and has works in several collections.
Curtis Ripley’s paintings are developed using many layers of oil glazes, giving them a sense of atmosphere and depth. Although the paintings are primarily abstract, they do have subjects. They have to do with place, the time of day, the season, transience, shadows, sounds and the emotion of color. Ripley is inspired by art history, music, literature and film. The experience of light and color, in all their manifestations in daily life, informs his work. An economy of means, a resistance to strict interpretation, and an intimate relationship with the viewer are essential elements of his work.
