~DaVinci41
Curt C. Chiarelli
Artist
United States
Curt Chiarelli has been providing design, sculpture and illustration services for the motion picture/television, toy/collectible, video game, museum exhibit and publishing industries for 25 years. A native born and bred Chicagoan, Curt began his career early at the age of 20 when he was contracted to create storyboards for the McDonald’s Corporation.
At the age of 23 and barely after receiving his B.A. in Communication Arts from Columbia College, he became this country's youngest production designer when he was hired by HBO to art direct a comedy feature," Men Will Be Boys".
From that point forward he began to receive a steady stream of commissions until his first major career breakthrough occurred in 1991 when he created the stop-motion animation model of the character, Goro for the Williams Electronics international blockbuster hit video arcade game, "Mortal Kombat".
In 1994 he left his staff position in the Exhibit Design Department at the John G. Shedd Aquarium to accept an invitation from Skellington Productions to join their team in the creation of the stop-motion animation models and effects for the feature length motion picture, "James and the Giant Peach". Noticing that his employment prospects were much enhanced and the weather far more accommodating, he decided to remain in the balmy climes of California for the next 13 years.
Since then, he has worked on such high-profile commissions as the creation of the "Halo" action figure line, collaborated with famed fantasy illustrator, Boris Vallejo on his "Mistresses of Fantasy" collectible sculpture line, the advertising campaign poster for "The Age of Empires III: The War Chiefs", theatrical masks for a collaborative effort between Cirque du Soleil Productions and illusionist, Criss Angel titled, "Believe" and seen his work featured multiple times in the yearly anthology, "Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art".
His client list includes Microsoft Corporation/Bungie Studios, Miller Brewing Company, Capital One, Gemmy Corporation, Walt Disney Productions, Universal Studios, Steve Johnson's Edge FX, Michael Curry Design, Chiodo Bros. Productions, Sony Pictures Digital Entertainment, Cartoon Network, MTV, HBO, IMAX, Lucasfilm Licensing, Nickelodeon, Warner Bros. Toys, RC 2 Corporation/JoyRide Studios, Hasbro Toys, Mattel Toys, Kenner Toys, Moore Action Collectibles, McFarlane Toys, Playing Mantis Toys, Fisher-Price Toys, Dark Horse Comics, Diamond Comics Distribution, Conte Collectibles, Franklin Mint, Noble Collection, Ashton-Drake Galleries, Illusive Concepts, 3DO/Cyclone Studios, Electronic Arts, Accolade, the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the Field Museum of Natural History and the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, amongst many others.
Curt's scope of activity has recently expanded to include writing. He has written two books within the past three years: a short story collection of Lovecraftian satire ("Shoggoths & Shibboleths and Other Eldritch Tomfooleries") and a memoir of his life in the commercial art business ("Fiddling Whilst Rome Burns"). A third volume of critical essays ("On the Tumbril") and an art instructional book are currently being compiled and edited.
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