Editor Pick: Trevor Knapp

Aselection of work by Texas-born, Wisconsin-based printmaker and draftsman Trevor Knapp. Discovered via our Submissions section and selected as an Editor Pick.

“Recent pieces I’ve developed in painting, printmaking and sculpture have moved into a concentration in questioning the realities that we as a society live in, consciously and subconsciously. When I first began as a painter, experimentation with materials was my utmost priority. Through layering of newspaper, spray paint and various acrylics I created bizarre abstract portraits, landscapes, and commentaries on our culture.”

“Through my recent body of work in printmaking however, I turned towards my subconscious for guidance. I am a sort of practitioner in lucid dreaming practices, and what I have found within my mind has been quite a journey. Not only has it explained my previous complications in life, my dreams have shown me incredible possibilities for art creation. In some cases, like shown in the piece Saturday Midnight Drive, the clash between reality and dream can be almost unknowing and disorienting.”

Knapp is a self-taught mixed media artist who creates abstract graffiti-inspired portraits. Although his style is a far cry from plein air landscapes, the expertise of the artists of the Door County Plein Air Festival, hosted by the Peninsula School of Art in Fish Creek, has captured his attention. So much so, that he “followed” artists such as Colin Page from Maine, Kami Polzin from Minnesota, and Canadian John Stuart Pryce every day.

A memorable painting tip came from featured artist Mary Ulm Mayhew of Newburg during a previous Door County Plein Air Festival.