Today we’d like to introduce you to Scott Gengelbach.
Scott, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I’ve always expressed myself creatively. First, it was Legos, then it was stop action animated movies and then dancing on water (surfing). All the while I would draw. My grandparents had art books in their house, so I was exposed to art at an early age. I loved looking at the art books but never did I think that I would be an artist, with a capital A. I first wanted to be a movie director, then a fashion designer and later a car designer or architect. It wasn’t until the year after high school while taking an art history class at Mesa College that I became serious about being an artist. I felt like that class had given me all I needed to know about being an artist (of course I was wrong) so I decided I would focus on making art while taking some G.E. classes and working. For the next ten years or so I spent my time working, surfing, studying art (on my own through books and magazines), taking a class now and then, and of course, making art (but not enough art). I needed to get more serious about art, so I decided to get serious about finishing college also and get a degree in art. My experience as an art major was probably a little different than those who go straight to college from high school. I already had what I thought was a mature style; I didn’t need someone to tell me how to make art, I needed someone to give me confidence in my art. A big boost of confidence came from my painting teacher at Mesa College, Anita Brynolf. After seeing what I was doing for the first assignment, she told me “You don’t have to do the assignments, you can just do whatever you want” (for three semesters of painting I did just that). Her faith in me really got the fire in my belly burning brightly. I’ve been super prolific ever since. In the last 15 years, I’ve managed to fill my studio with over 500 pieces of art, most of them just sitting there gathering dust, I’ve only sold a handful of things (not totally by choice). I was also given a big boost of confidence at Mesa College by Alessandra Moctezuma, the art gallery director there. She decided to make one of my pieces the center of the big student show that they have every semester (I still have a few hundred postcards with my image on the front from it- from 14 years ago). When I transferred to SDSU, I wasn’t sure what my focus in the arts was going to be. Once again I found an instructor that let me be me, she was the fiber arts instructor Kathryn Harris.
I ended up majoring in Applied Design with fiber arts as my emphasis. Since school, I’ve been making art (lots of art), working at my family’s small business full time and working part-time at The Escondido Arts Partnership Municipal Gallery. I need to surf more though.
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I’m a mixed media artist, I dabble in a little bit of everything. My work is primarily collage and assemblage based. I use found images and objects (lots of toys) that I combine together to make two dimensional or three-dimensional pieces. I like to use things for purposes other than what they were meant for. For example- a vacuum cleaner becomes a spaceship. I make art because I have to create. It’s like eating or breathing for me- second nature. There’s a lot of political and social commentary going on in my work so the way that humans treat each other, the planet and the other living things on the planet fuels the work. My hope is that when people see the work, it makes them question their belief system. I’m not necessarily trying to change any one’s mind (though that would be nice). I just want them to at least ponder. My work may seem like a statement, but it’s really a question.
Artists face many challenges, but what do you feel is the most pressing among them?
I make art so it can be seen. I’m saying something about the world we live in, and I want people to see what it is I’m saying. It’s not about money for me, but it would be nice to be able to make art for a living. I think the biggest challenge facing artists, and it’s not just today but in the past as well, is being able to get your work seen by the people who would be most likely to help your career. Success in the art world boils down to who you know.
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?
People can see my work at my studio in the Brokers Building in downtown San Diego, a show I might be lucky enough to get into or on my website, Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. People can support my work by telling other people about it.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.scottgengelbach.com
- Phone: 619 368-1685
- Email: scottgsandiego@hotmail.com
- Instagram: SCOTTGENGELBACH_ART
- Facebook: Scott Gengelbach- Art
- Twitter: GengelbachScott
Image Credit:
All images Scott Gengelbach
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