BIO

 

Floyd has been drawing since he was a young child growing up in Brooklyn. He attended School of Visual Arts on a full tuition scholarship, studying illustration. After graduating in 1985, he worked as an illustrator and calligrapher while continuing his fine art studies at The Art Students League and The New School. After a short time, he became acutely aware of his love for design and opened the doors to his design firm, Rappy & Company, with clients like HBO and PanAm. He continues to serve corporate clients today.

 

He has taught drawing, painting and calligraphy at Kingsborough Community College in Brooklyn, NY and also served as an Adjunct Professor at NYU teaching an advanced class in marketing design. 

 

At his art studio in Northern Westchester, Floyd keeps a regular schedule of painting and life drawing.

 

His work has been part of group exhibits at: The Society of Illustrators, The Art Students League, The Master Eagle Gallery NYC, Rallye Motors, The Schoolhouse Theatre, Pound Ridge Library, Katonah Village Library, Northern Westchester Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian/Hudson Valley Hospital.

 

 

STATEMENT

 

Picasso said, “We all know that Art is not truth. Art is a lie that makes us realize truth at least the truth that is given us to understand. The artist must know the manner whereby to convince others of the truthfulness of his lies.” And Degas said something similar, “In painting you must give the idea of the true by means of the false.” I was thinking about what I do, and what all artists do. We look through a certain lens that is our own perspective and we translate the world around us. Here’s my lens. I am, a Brooklyn guy who grew up in the projects who eventually emigrated to Northern Westchester in 1989 for a new perspective. 

 

Degas said, "Art is not what you see, but what you make others see." I don’t always know what I’m going to do when I approach my canvas or white paper. My hope is that my art becomes the outward expression of my inner life that will reveal my personal vision of the world. Buildings, people, flowers, it’s all fascinating. When I am drawing from the model, I see race, gender, age, all of it, and it’s all wonderful. Art is the great equalizer. It’s humanity, life. There is nothing more valuable about drawing a billionaire than someone down on their luck. In fact, the latter is usually much more interesting. An abandoned building can be more interesting than a castle. I hope in my art to celebrate the ordinariness of life. I love drawing from the model. Each time it’s different. How do I feel, loose, tight, color, B&W, what does this particluar model make me feel on this particluar day.

 

– Floyd Rappy