Chris Cropper has been creating art for about thirty years in Central Ohio. His early experiences of drawing off in the corner during Baptist youth group Lock-Ins, and drawing late at night in his bedroom helped him to build a well-developed style early on. He believes that his gift was from God, and was present before he was born. Although he received a scholarship from Columbus College of Art and Design upon graduation from high school, he didn’t stay there, and chose to develop on his own. Our conversation at his home twenty minutes outside of the center of the city was much like his art: vibrant, rich, and full of fascinating stories and connections.
Once Chris didn’t like the assignment given to the class in high school, so he went outside and mixed some dirt with acrylic latex paint to add texture. Chris has been using found objects of all sorts in his work for a long time. Chris cites a variety of influences on his work, but a pivotal moment from him was when he was 20, and his dad’s boss took him to the Cleveland Museum of Art. It was in the museum gift shop that he picked up, “Graffito,” a book about the San Francisco Bay Area graffiti movement of the 1990’s. He knew of graffiti art before, but had never seen anything like the images on those pages. Not long after that, he created his first work—a 17-foot mural, using Krylon paint, with the collaboration of a friend.
In his early to mid-twenties, Chris connected with other local graffiti artists, and continued to develop in that style. When I asked him about how he learned to paint graffiti, his response was simply through lots of trial and error, emphasizing that graffiti artists should be able to work quickly, have a clear concept before beginning, and a high level of accuracy in execution. Chris continues this work, painting murals throughout Columbus, and often collaborates with other artists. When I noted that he seemed to like collaboration, he agreed, but replied, “not with just anyone. You need to have a rapport.”
One thing that strikes me about the spirit of self-taught artist Chris Cropper is his attitude of generosity. Chris recounted to me a story of his first show outside of Columbus, at the M1-5 Lounge in Chinatown, New York City during 2016 at an event called, “Pancakes and Booze.” Chris fondly remembered early mornings with coffee and cigarettes at the Brooklyn B & B where he and his friend Arlo stayed, and how they left paintings with the owners to show their gratitude.
Shortly before graduating from high school, self-taught artist Chris Cropper received a blank sketchbook from Columbus College of Art and Design during a visit. Fast forward about ten years, and each page is packed with rich color, form, line, texture, and powerful narrative. Found objects, portraits of friends and classmates, reflections of faith, and responses to tragedy fill every inch. This detail shows one of Chris’ characteristic faces, demonstrating that this was a well-integrated stylistic element fairly early in his process.