
Scott Troxel
Born: 1971
Hometown: North Wales, Pennsylvania
Based in: Marmora, New Jersey
Scott Troxel draws on the aesthetics of bygone technology and the forward-looking designs of the Atomic Age and mid-century modernism to make dynamic, retrofuturist wooden sculptures that evoke nostalgia for the past as much as they look to the future. Fascinated by the way pieces of technology, culture, and design reveal their age, Scott aims to make works that cannot be pinned to a specific era.
He is a mixed media wall sculptor that works primarily with wood and paint and sometimes incorporates metal, reclaimed wood, found objects and man-made materials like PVC and Azek. Scott attended Temple University and got his degree in film, although originally an art major, and ended up pursuing a career in product development, industrial design and brand management. At age 43 he started working on his art again and after a few years, he had enough work, momentum and success to transition to being a full time artist.
Scott’s work is inspired by design and technology throughout the twentieth century, such as mid-century modernism, the Atomic Age, and art deco. In terms of what his work is trying to say, he tends to expand upon Frank Stella’s famous quote “What you see is what you see.” Scott states “While the viewer tends to bring his or her experiences to my work and “find” something familiar in it, my goal is to create art that features strong composition, balance, color, form and movement. My work relies heavily on these pillars. I then incorporate themes of aging, organic versus man-made, and new versus old in the sense of how we engage with technology, design, and aesthetics across generations. Specifically, I use the example of mid-century modern design. It has the rare ability to be timeless yet dated, modern but retro, organic and grounded but still futurist and otherworldly. I find this concept fascinating, and it is the foundation of what I try to achieve in my work. I want it to feel both modern and bold but perhaps from another era—when it was cutting edge, before time passed it by and changed the definition of “new or modern.”
Currently Scott lives and works as a full-time artist at his home, studio and woodshop by the sea in Coastal New Jersey. His work is are held in private collections across the United States, Canada, Europe, and South America. Additionally, his work is corporate collections such as Hilton, Capitol One, Price WaterHouse Cooper, Marriot, Embassy Suites, Westin, Stratosphere Las Vegas, Wyndham, Westin, Hotel Del Coronado, The Shard London and Four Seasons. He has exhibited at Scope Miami, Art Wynwood, The Other Art Fair, and Texas Contemporary.
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Scott Troxel In The Studio
More About Scott Troxel
What inspires you?
I see inspiration in architecture, nature, other artists work, museums, and clean modern design. I am fascinated by the term "modern" and what it means or has meant throughout the last hundred years and how our perception of what is modern shifts through time.
Describe your creative process.
All of my work starts on my computer. I run through ideas and develop a concept. Sort of like a digital sketchbook. From there I take the idea to the studio and woodshop and begin realizing the concept in real space. Often times the artwork changes during the creative process, but the digital sketch gives me a good starting point. From there I develop the piece until I feel it is realized.
What are 3 words that best describe your work?
retrofuturist, modern, sophisticated
Who are some artists that have influenced your work?
Frank Stella, Wyatt Khan, Hiroyuki Hamada, Ellsworth Kelly, Clyfford Still, Franz Kline, Martin Puryear, Giorgio de Chirico, Leon Polk Smith
What is the most important tool when creating your work?
Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. All of my ideas start there before moving into the woodshop.
What is the best piece of advice you have been given?
"Keep doing what you are doing." Being a full time artist is not easy. It is a full and fanatical commitment which consumes your life. It is easy to be discouraged sometimes when things are not clicking, but these simple words keep me going.
Where do you go for inspiration?
I live by the ocean and spend a good deal of time in the water which is always soul cleansing.
Credentials
Awards
Bombay Sapphire Artisan Series- Semi -Finalist Philadelphia
2017