Artist Statement

Mixed Bag is a collection of new paintings and papier-mâché sculptures by Ryan Trott, with a musical soundtrack created in tandem by the artist. The work depicts everyday objects, faces, and figures in surreal, lighthearted environments. Woozy fruit bowls, clouds, vases, and musical instruments interact in playful paintings alongside papier-mâché sculptures of exaggerated real life objects in bright, flat color. These whimsical scenes share common themes: the joy of creativity, the comfort of simple spaces, meditating on the everyday. Trott’s visual vocabulary is informed by outsider and folk art, children’s book illustrations, and the warped absurdity of Funk Art. Coffee mugs, potted plants, food, bricks, and terrazzo appear in different forms throughout the work, emphasizing the visual comfort of these simple settings. 

Alongside the visual work is a collection of free-flowing musical compositions. Individual paintings are paired with an accompanying song, in varying styles and instrumentation, immersing the viewer in the dreamlike, narrative world of the art. Recorded at home on guitar, synthesizer, drum machine, and percussion through a myriad of effects, the music touches on references to early electronic film soundtracks, ambient, exotica, and library music.