I was introduced to artist Mitchell Craig at The Other Art Fair, and was instantly drawn to the intensely saturated and evocative paintings of his series “Sweater Girls,” an homage to the history of women and fashion in America’s 1950’s.
Craig, born in Washington Heights, has lived his entire life in Manhattan. The energy, variety and endless visual stimulation of New York City are his lifeblood.
Educated at the High School of Music and Art, and Parson’s School of Design, he followed his love of clothing, presentation, and perception into a career in design. After many years in fashion, he is now channeling those same interests into his true passion: creating art. Working from a studio in Gowanus, he creates paintings that challenge or reframe many of the same themes that informed his design work.
DC: Your favorite color?
MC: That’s not a fair question. It’s like asking if you have a favorite child. All colors are my favorites. The visual language of color speaks loudly in ways we might not be conscious of. The vast vocabulary of color can communicate through time and space. Color is a universal way of communicating.
DC: You grew up in New York and trained at the High School of Music & Art before attending Parsons. How did living within the visual density of New York shape your artistic eye?
MC: I like that expression – visual density. It describes the panorama of people, places, and things we’re surrounded by as New Yorkers. Growing up, I was always taken with unending diversity that is the spine of life in New York. Any city street sends you on a trip around the world. It’s that lived experience that informs my work.
DC: After years of working in fashion and design, what ultimately drove you to painting?
MC: Painting gives you license to invent. It’s a time honored cliché, but if you can dream it, you can paint it. The world writ large is a palette that is boundless. Fashion offers another palette, composed of fabric and texture. Another form of manifest creativity.
DC: In your most recent project, Decades, the use of color feels psychologically charged. What was your focus when choosing the palette to represent both the women and fashion of the 1950’s?
MC: Experiencing color is the product of head and heart. They can’t be separated. The 1950’s gave birth to the magic of technicolor. It was a new technology that produced colors with a depth and richness that was unimaginable. Once I saw that I was hooked.
DC: Your color choices in Decades appear layered, restrained, and intentional. What were you saying to your audience with your choices?
MC: Loving color isn’t one dimensional. Any audience can relate to hyper brights at one moment and sultry, mysterious colors the next. They cohabitate harmoniously. They are inextricably linked. I’ve indulged in both.
DC: What color advice would you give to emerging artists?
MC: The greatest obstacle in using color is fear. Handling color can be intimidating. The only way forward is to experiment. Do it in private with no one judging you. The only eyes that matter are yours. Fear not!
DC: What’s next in Decades?
MC: As I look ahead to the sixties, the changes in the cultural landscape affected women in profound ways. The advent of the pill afforded women more freedom. They were able to leave the stricture of the fifties behind, and take an independent role in shaping their lives.
The youth quake took hold, and with it a new expression of color and pattern. Colors were bright – patterns were bold. This new found freedom was expressed through vivid heart stopping color. Color was used with abandon, heralding the beginning of a new age for women. Truly revolutionary.
I highly recommend seeing Mitchell Craig’s art in person. He will be exhibiting at the following Art Fairs: April 9-12, ArtExpo NYC at Pier 36; April 24-26, SuperFairNYC, Brooklyn Navy Yard; May 7-10, CLIO, 511 W. 25th St.; May 13-16, Future Fair, Chelsea Industrial; and August 15-29, Chianchiano Biennial, Chianchiano Termini, Italy
Follow Mitchell Craig’s work on Instagram: @mitchellcraigstudio
