Rappleye’s work is steeped in history, tradition, and nostalgia, reflecting a skepticism toward the swiftly evolving impact of robotics and technology on society. His work challenges perceptions of reality in an era dominated by AI, manipulated images, and fake news. “To Be Continued…”, Rappleye’s most recent body of work, is inspired in part by 19th century English caricaturist and satirist William Heath, who is credited with coining the cliffhanger phrase “To Be Continued…” Other sources of inspiration include nature, vintage cartoons, the works of Old Masters such as Giuseppe Arcimboldo, and decorative pastiche. This particular series is characterized by a complex blend of imagery evoking decayed stage sets and artificial façades, merging the sublime with the absurd. Works such as Unintended Consequences On Our Way Back From Eden I and II feature characters assembled in a cut and paste style, not unlike fantastical robots. One figure has a brick wall for a body and a broom for a tail, while another character shakes a plucked animal while speaking on a vintage telephone. In the background, rolling hills and an old barn add to the surreal landscape, while the foreground showcases meticulously painted pink flowers and butterflies. Drawing upon the vocabulary of popular culture as well as art history, Rappleye’s work dissects a wide variety of visual material with equal consideration and a satirical eye.
Rappleye attended the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture and has been an artist in residence at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas; MacDowell Colony; Cooper Union Residency Program; New York City; The John Michael Kohler Arts Center, among other venues. He has received grants from the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, The Ludwig Vogelstein Foundation; The Geraldine R. Dodge Foundation and the New Jersey Meadowlands Commission. He received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin, Madison.