In the studio with Scott Baumgartner.
A Visual & Written Essay by Clarkus A. Patrick.
Scott holding one of his hundreds of handmade sculptural objects that he has spend more than 3 years creating.
A grouping of Scott's extra-worldly objects in a set to be photographed.
Scott at work on a new stain glass window.
Insane cuts for the layout.
Hand-built and hand-carved wood frames for Scott's photographic series specifically of the handmade sculptures.
Close-up of the many layers of paint and finish on the frames.
The studio. Scott's home.
Tools of the trade.
A mosaic Scott made with hand-tumbled and polished stones.
Another window in progress.
The hands of the greatest craftsman I know.
Oh, Scott. Where do I begin?
I’ll start with a bold statement. Scott is without a doubt the most talented craftsman I know. The paintings, sculptures, mosaics, stained glass windows, gardens, and really everything he does are all created from a place very few people understand. The type of care and attention to detail he puts into his work is unprecedented.
I first met Scott while living in an artists loft space in St. Paul 5 years ago. The woman in the office said when I moved in, “There’s a very talented artist living on the 5th floor, but he’s kind of a recluse, so it might be hard to get to know him.” I knew right away we’d end up becoming friends. Reclusive people are my kind of folks.
It did take a year or so before I actually met Scott, but we connected on our shared passion for photography and have become good friends since then.
One of the things that makes Scott different from many other artists I know is that much of, if not all, the work he creates comes from a somewhat dark place. Scott creates to resolve, work through, and process his inner demons. He creates art as a way to get through life, not as a celebration of it. The most amazing thing for me about this is that the work he creates is so beautiful. It’s so hard to believe that his inner demons, fears, and pain could drive the creation of such aesthetically amazing final pieces.
I know Scott well enough to know some of his best work was created during his most painful times. Although he has never said this to me, I feel as though his way of dealing with his pain is to create amazing things, things so wonderful you can’t help but appreciate them when they’re done. It’s like a giant fuck-you to everything bad in the world. Creating incredible art punches negativity, sadness, pain, and fear in the face.
Scott is a good decade older than I am, but we’re on a similar path. After a certain point in your life there is no turning back from who you are, and what and why, you do what you do. We create in different mediums and for different reasons, but we share at least one common motivation – to envision, create, build, and project beauty into the world.
Perhaps the artists’ highest ideal is to help take us all to a beautiful place that we wouldn’t find on our own. Scott’s art can bring you to that place.
Scott – I know you suffer for your work, but you’re suffering is the world’s gain and even if it feels like no one else cares or understands what you do and why I deeply appreciate your art. Keep creating.
A Visual & Written Essay by Clarkus A. Patrick.
Scott holding one of his hundreds of handmade sculptural objects that he has spend more than 3 years creating.
A grouping of Scott's extra-worldly objects in a set to be photographed.
Scott at work on a new stain glass window.
Insane cuts for the layout.
Hand-built and hand-carved wood frames for Scott's photographic series specifically of the handmade sculptures.
Close-up of the many layers of paint and finish on the frames.
The studio. Scott's home.
Tools of the trade.
A mosaic Scott made with hand-tumbled and polished stones.
Another window in progress.
The hands of the greatest craftsman I know.
Oh, Scott. Where do I begin?
I’ll start with a bold statement. Scott is without a doubt the most talented craftsman I know. The paintings, sculptures, mosaics, stained glass windows, gardens, and really everything he does are all created from a place very few people understand. The type of care and attention to detail he puts into his work is unprecedented.
I first met Scott while living in an artists loft space in St. Paul 5 years ago. The woman in the office said when I moved in, “There’s a very talented artist living on the 5th floor, but he’s kind of a recluse, so it might be hard to get to know him.” I knew right away we’d end up becoming friends. Reclusive people are my kind of folks.
It did take a year or so before I actually met Scott, but we connected on our shared passion for photography and have become good friends since then.
One of the things that makes Scott different from many other artists I know is that much of, if not all, the work he creates comes from a somewhat dark place. Scott creates to resolve, work through, and process his inner demons. He creates art as a way to get through life, not as a celebration of it. The most amazing thing for me about this is that the work he creates is so beautiful. It’s so hard to believe that his inner demons, fears, and pain could drive the creation of such aesthetically amazing final pieces.
I know Scott well enough to know some of his best work was created during his most painful times. Although he has never said this to me, I feel as though his way of dealing with his pain is to create amazing things, things so wonderful you can’t help but appreciate them when they’re done. It’s like a giant fuck-you to everything bad in the world. Creating incredible art punches negativity, sadness, pain, and fear in the face.
Scott is a good decade older than I am, but we’re on a similar path. After a certain point in your life there is no turning back from who you are, and what and why, you do what you do. We create in different mediums and for different reasons, but we share at least one common motivation – to envision, create, build, and project beauty into the world.
Perhaps the artists’ highest ideal is to help take us all to a beautiful place that we wouldn’t find on our own. Scott’s art can bring you to that place.
Scott – I know you suffer for your work, but you’re suffering is the world’s gain and even if it feels like no one else cares or understands what you do and why I deeply appreciate your art. Keep creating.
