Art + Artists

Materiality, process, and function are at the forefront of my practice. I create objects and installations that exist in a liminal space between art, architecture, design, and sound. Functionality in my work is a fluid term, allowing for loose interpretations and varied levels of “usefulness.” Sculptures often become interactive, furniture-adjacent pieces that produce sound through viewer activation. Installations embrace formal principles of art and design while inspiring use by musicians and sound artists. A balance of aesthetics and tactility has allowed me to create sculptural objects that engage my interests in both the physical and sensory world. While much of my work can produce or process sound, my primary focus is the physical form that it takes. I consider the incorporation of electronics, production of sound, and possibility of performance to be supplemental visual and sensory layers in my sculpture-centered practice.

I utilize digital processes in my work such as 3D modeling, CNC routing, laser cutting, and 3D printing. I approach digital fabrication in an intuitive way, consciously avoiding completely planning works in advance. This often leads to drafting and producing components on demand, while an idea is still in its infancy. This process can sometimes result in failure, producing components that don't work but are ultimately repurposed into different objects. Although heavily digital, this process feels akin to more traditional methods of sculpture, requiring action, reflection, and reaction. I've found this way of working to be extremely generative and enjoy the fact that it forces me to rely on my intuition as a maker.

Conceptually, my practice centers on self-reflection. Motivation, procrastination, failure, and nostalgia often become entangled, resulting in works that attempt to fill a personal void, need, or desire. My current focus is on my role as a musician and visual artist. The process of intertwining both practices is at the forefront of my work, often highlighting a struggle for clarity and satisfaction in both fields. My endeavors in music and sculpture oscillate between utter failure, disinterest, and frustration to moments where both seemingly make sense existing in the same place. This recent body of work attempts to exist in both creative fields.

SCOTT CARTER (b. 1984, United States) is a Memphis based artist. He received his MFA in Sculpture from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2011, where he was the first recipient of the Eldon Danhausen Fellowship for Sculpture. He has participated in residencies at the Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, Kohler Arts/Industry Program in Pottery, Crosstown Arts, Vermont Studio Center and
the Ox Bow School of Art. He is a recipient of the Efroymson Contemporary Arts Fellowship (2013), the Tri-Star Arts Current Art Fund Grant (2021) and is included in 100 Sculptors of Tomorrow, authored by Kurt Beers and published by Thames and Hudson.