Stuart Troxel
The ART of IMPROV
I am pleased to introduce you to Stuart Troxel, a painter from central Indiana who uses improv in a variety of ways in his work, from how he produces his source images to the actual paintings themselves. Interestingly, a few of his works came about while doing some work in Chicago for Second City, one of the most iconic Improv comedy companies in the world.
Self Portrait Stuart Troxel
What does working improvisationally mean to you? How would you define the ‘Art of Improv?
Working improvisationally, to me, means creating "in the moment," based on my own instincts, mood, and eye. I would define "Art of Improv" as the ability to create something worthwhile out of thin air within the confines of a proper context. For a piece to work, there has to be structure and an end goal, but improvisation allows one to work and express his or herself freely within those confines.
Have you always worked improvisationally?
I only began to use improvisational techniques once I felt comfortable and confident with my own creative process. Although I would often improvise rough sketches or humorous drawings, I would never classify any part of my more serious work as "improvised" until more recently.
Do you work improvisationally, consciously, intentionally? If so, how do you begin? If not, how do you find yourself getting there?
I work with a predetermined idea in mind but use improvisational means to get there, much like how, in an improv comedy class, a sketch may revolve around a certain word, idea, or prop. I take photos as the basis for my paintings and each photo comes from semi-improvised means. Often times I will take photos of random, interesting people I see on the street, times in which I don't know who or what I'm going to paint until I get lucky enough to catch a photo of the right subject at exactly the right time. When I have a certain idea in mind and work with a model, I never give him or her any specific pose. Instead, I sit and take photos while we shoot the breeze and hope that one out of the hundred or so photos I take will catch what I am looking for. Ironically, one of my best works ("Show Up For Me") was created from a random photo I took in Chicago last summer while visiting a friend who was performing at Second City, perhaps the most famous improv enterprise in the world.
May Stuart Troxel
How often do you work with improvisation?
I use improvisation in every piece, although no piece is entirely improvised. In most cases, the folds and wrinkles in the clothing I paint are entirely improvised. Orson Welles once said the best things in his movies came from "divine accidents" and I feel the same way about my paintings.
Please share a bit about your process. Do you have methods to getting started? Do you have tricks to getting unstuck? Do you have motivators to finishing up?
Once I have my original source photo, I use it as a guide for my under-drawing and from there I begin to paint, choosing and mixing my colors as I go with no concrete ideas beforehand. Nothing gets me started quite like the excitement of the idea and if I don't catch it when the mood is right, then I may never begin a piece at all. When a painting just doesn't seem to be working no matter what I do, I've discovered the best solution is to just put it away for awhile, out of view. When looking at it once again with fresh eyes, I either immediately see what it is that needs fixed and how to do it, or I realize there was nothing wrong with it in the first place and that I was just overly fatigued.
Where do you find inspiration? How do you use it?
I find inspiration in my everyday life, whether it be my ideas and beliefs, the people I know, or the things I've experienced. I will either use my inspirations literally (such as painting a portrait of someone I love) or using models or objects to represent a bigger theme or idea.
Suspended Belief Stuart Troxel
What advice would you give to someone interested in trying to work improvisationally. Can you share some good advice that you received that helped you become more comfortable this way?
As Picasso once said, "Learn the rules like a pro so you can break them like an artist." In order to improvise and work freely, one has to first learn at least the basic techniques of any medium they choose to work with.
How would you finish the sentence, ‘What if, . . .?’
"What if John Lennon was still alive?" This is something I think about nearly everyday.
What are reading, listening to, watching, or any other inspirational obsessions you would like to share?
I am currently revisiting my love for The Beach Boys. Their music has always been in heavy rotation for me, but lately I have been playing them nearly nonstop and revisiting some of their lesser known works in a way I haven't done since college. Also, I highly recommend Paul Simon's recent album "In The Blue Light." It's a perfect album to play while one creates.
Stuart, thank you for sharing your work and how improvisation impacts your process. I find how you capture the beauty in everyday moments very inspiring and find proof that it exists by knowing that others can see it too. Your ‘what if’ answer blew me away and I think of it often as well, how lucky we all are to have our lives touched, changed really by his spirit through his music/art making and his courage to speak of how he saw the world and how he would like to see it change. I think we are all doing that through our art making, thank you for being brave and making your art and sharing the beauty you see.
To learn more about Stuart, his work, and his process, visit his website stuarttroxel.com and find him on Instagram here.
Title Stuart Troxel
If you would like to be featured on The Art of Improv please contact me! I would love to hear how improvisation impacts your art making process.