Scott Carter

Lives and works in Memphis, TN, USA

Artist statement

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. 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 have allowed me to create objects that engage my interests in both the physical and sensory world. Conceptually, my practice centers on self-reflection. Motivation, procrastination, failure and nostalgia often become entangled, resulting in me creating works that attempt to fill a personal void,...

Artwork

• The path to mindfulness (the power of breath), 2024. Plexiglass, plywood, beer bottles, polyethylene tubing, tube fittings, concrete, perforated prototype board, electric air pump, air hose, speaker, resin laminated glass, inkjet transparency prints, air filter, condenser microphone, amplifier, 3d printed parts, 1/4in input jacks, instrument cables.
• Perfect in an empty room, 2024. MDF, plywood, plexiglass, beer bottles, sand, 1/4in input jacks, cast aluminum, spray paint, copper tape, solder, steel rod, velcro cable ties, 3D printed hardware, silk flowers, rubber dip, concrete, noise circuit, contact mic, amplifier, speakers, electronics components.
• Shadows in an empty space, 2024. Plexiglass, MDF, spray paint,1/4in input jacks, beer bottles, sand, 3d printed hardware, cap nuts, threaded rod, uncoated electrical wire, LED flasher circuits, 9v battery
• Energy States, 2023. Plywood, plexiglass, concrete, steel rod, PLA plastic, rubber dip, silk plant, beer bottle, copper tape, alligator clips, guitar cables, 1/4in input jacks, cable ties, LED recessed light, speakers, speaker grill cloth, amplifier, diode distortion circuit, electronics components.
• Merged/Split, 2024. MDF, plexiglass, beer bottles, solder, copper tape, spray paint, 1/4in jacks, wire, 3d printed hardware, 1/4in patch cables, black sand
• Tonight with a constant buzz, 2024. Plexiglass, MDF, beer bottles, 3d printed hardware, etched garolite sheet, sand, 1/4in input jacks, wire, instrument cables, 4 x white noise circuits,, solder, copper tape
• To get older still , 2023. Plywood, oak, plexiglass, brass rod, glass, concrete, sand, cast aluminum, hydro stone, copper tape, solder, spray paint, beer bottles, guitar cables, 1/4in input jacks, speaker grill cloth, pickguard material, delay effects circuit, electronic components.
• Burden (the refrain), 2024. Plexiglass, plywood, nitrile gloves, speakers, speaker grill cloth, beer bottles, cap nuts, six oscillator drone circuit, stereo amplifier, light dependent resistors, 3d printed hardware
• Shallow Water , 2023. Plywood, oak, plexiglass, cast aluminum, spray paint, spring reverb tank, guitar cables, 1/4in input jacks, contact mics, audio amplifier circuits, electronic components, velcro cable ties, 3D printed hardware
• Passing Time (II), 2023. Beer bottles, copper tape, solder, MDF, steel rod, spray paint, silicone, PLA plastic, plexiglass, amplifier, speaker, photocell oscillator circuit, 1/4 input jack, electronics components.
• Passing Time (I), 2023. Beer bottles, copper tape, solder, mdf, steel rod, spray paint, silicone, 3D printed PLA, plexiglass, velcro cable ties, amplifier, speaker, photocell oscillator circuit, 1/4 input jack, electronic components.
• Signal Loss, 2023. Formica, plexiglass, cyanotype print, aluminum, guitar cables, silk flowers, rubber dip, contact mics, guitar jacks, 1/4in inputs, velcro cables ties, analog bit reduction circuit, electronic components, LED.
• Plucked, 2024. Glass, silicone, spray paint, enamel, paint marker, copper tape, solder, 3d printed hardware.
• Bowed, 2024. Glass, silicone, resin, spray paint, paint marker, copper tape, solder, inkjet transparency print, 3d printed mounting hardware
• To see more clearly , 2023. Laser etched mirrors, glass, copper tape, solder, silicone, acrylic caulk, spray paint, acrylic paint, 3D printed hardware.
• Cascade, 2023. Acoustic foam, spray paint, acrylic paint, MDF, Duratex coating, metal cabinet corners
• HUM, 2022. Guitar cables, contact mics, silk plants, 1/4in audio jacks, hook up wire, audio mixers, effects, speakers, cable ties, liquid rubber, led lights, plexiglass, plywood, rigging cable, hardware, plaster.
• Closer , 2021. Acoustic foam, latex paint, spray paint, mdf, guitar cables, led lights