This week Treehouse Artist Spotlight is introducing visual artist Brett Clouser.
GIULIA: When and how did you start your project?
BRETT: I am working on a form of earth paintings in which I've buried 12 canvases in
Amsterdamse Bos. Every few weeks, I visit the forest to dig up a new canvas and
observe the decomposition cycle of the forest floor. I'm 3 months into the project now
and I've begun to notice the worms and saprophytic fungus. They are both responsible
for consuming organic matter on the forest floor, an essential part of the forest
ecosystem. As the canvases become discolored and degraded over time, creating rich
texture and patterns on the canvas material.
GIULIA: What inspired your work?
BRETT: Infinite patterns and self-organizing systems exist all around us. As a part of an ongoing
series, I created a large abstract painting last year titled, Emergence (1.5m x 1.5m,
acrylic on canvas).
This painting style seems to emulate emergent structures often found in nature.
Repetitious brushstrokes begin to fill circular forms creating a semblance of a more
unified whole. The process of painting in this manner acted as a form of meditation,
much in the way mandalas are used in spiritual traditions. Mind and ego dissolve into
repetitious brushstrokes, abstract forms and textures. While working on this piece, I
developed a curiosity to incorporate nature more intimately into the art making process.
GIULIA: What is your background?
BRETT: I grew up on the west coast of the United States where I developed a fascination with nature. As a child, I found myself always building things and to this day I feel
comfortable creating whether it's in my design, photography, or art practice.
GIULIA: Who among the Treehouse family would you like to collaborate with?
BRETT: I am interested in collaborating with anyone working at the intersection of technology
and the natural world. (Al, generative art, GANs, code-based visual art, AR, etc.)
Follow his work on his website and on Instagram!
Find him also here:
Brett Clouser - (vimeo.com)