Today we’d like to introduce you to Amy Scofield.
Amy, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I grew up in the mountains in Colorado in a family that valued nature, science, and imagination, at a time when ecology and women’s rights were surging issues. My grandma was an artist, so my mom really supported our creativity and my dad, who was in aerospace, encouraged us to think and problem-solve. I remember both disassembling things with hand tools and creating elaborate multi-story houses for our trolls with rocks and dirt, befriending bugs and baby rabbits while learning the names of all the local plants and birds. I studied geology, astronomy, psychology, anthropology, mythology, design, as well as art in college but ended up with an English degree because I loved writing and reading. I can see now how all of those elements have really contributed to the kind of artist I’ve become.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
My work addresses conservation, climate change, consumerism, notions of beauty and attachment through abstract sculpture and installation made from already existing materials.
I’ve used thousands of discarded bike tubes, zillions of salvaged Mylar strips from mailing envelopes, hundreds of dead trees, dozens of feet of recycled City water pipe, my own old shoes or love letters, scrounged rusty metal, to create large and small abstract sculpture and installations that ask the viewer to consider what they think of as meaningful or valuable. I keep it fun and a bit whimsical though. I don’t think being preachy is a way to inspire change.
I live in constant conflict. I have a compulsion to create, but it’s coupled with a philosophical and practical desire to not make more stuff that takes up space in the world. Digital photography is a rewarding mitigation, but I thrive on the acceptance of a project proposal with the validation that someone gets my work and then also the inherent structure of timelines and deadlines. I need justification to actually make something, but when I do, I’m diligent and tireless.
What do you think it takes to be successful as an artist?
The time I feel successful is when a sparkling new idea comes to me, as a new way to use a material or as a solution to a problem I couldn’t solve before. It’s a precious moment that’s mine alone. There are so many twists to the creative process, it’s a thrill when all the bits click together, and I understand that a piece is finished. Much of my work is process-oriented, and the making of it is laborious and arduous, so the pleasure is in the conception and then the completion.
Of course, I’m doubly delighted when the piece leaves my hands and goes home with someone who loves it.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I will be showing at the Texas Vignette Art Fair in Dallas, April 10-14 and will unveil my first permanent public artwork in Austin at the new Govalle Park Pool in May. People in Dallas may remember my Prize-winning installation for Art on Henderson in 2014-2016 of three 21-foot tall bright orange and blue trees in an undeveloped lot, which suggested what nature could become if we don’t protect our green spaces from development.
I have a separate body of work in the form of an Instagram, @amysco, where I share some of my artwork but mostly moments, circumstances and compositions that catch my eye. I have another account which features my jewelry line made from plastic Topo Chico bottles, @Seacological_Effects, as well as a website; www.AmyScofield.com
This year, I’ve been named as the first Resident Artist of Presidium Properties in Austin, which is a program founded by the non-profit Austin Creative Alliance to encourage developers to support the creative culture of Austin, rather than displace it. As a result, I’m providing monthly creative experiences for the residents of Element and Solaris Apartments. Focusing on nature and mindfulness, our projects foster imagination and connection to the outdoors through innovative art events and outings.
Contact Info:
- Address: Amy Scofield
- Website: www.AmyScofield.com
- Phone: 512 797 3370
- Email: AmyScofieldArtist@gmail.com
- Instagram: amysco
- Facebook: Amy Scofield, Artist
- Other: @Seacological_effects
Image Credit:
All photos courtesy of the artist
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