Scott Albrecht – Zero tolerance

Scott Albrecht – Zero tolerance

By Arden de Raaij

Recently we got in touch with artist and designer Scott Albrecht(1983), based in Brooklyn, NY. It turned out his exhibition ‘HERE AND NOW’ opened in the Andenken / Batallion gallery right in our hometown Amsterdam. Of course, we missed the exhibition, but that’s all the more reason to introduce you to the good man through our website!

“I like that you really don’t have that luxury of ‘undo’ which forces you to be more present and conscious when you’re creating. If you mess up or overwork a piece, that’s it.”

Scott Albrecht - The Future is Forever
Scott Albrecht – The Future is Forever

For those who don’t know you, could you introduce yourself to our readers?

Sure, my name Scott Albrecht. I’m a Brooklyn-based artist & designer. I work primarily with wood and paper incorporating a lot of graphic elements and principles into my work like typography, color-blocking, graphic shapes & simplified forms. I also on occasions talk like a muppet.

Scott Albrecht - Potential of What is - 2
Scott Albrecht – Potential of What is – 2

Where does the passion for woodworking come from?

I started using wood as a canvas really early on in my personal work. It was more about it being more readily available in the beginning but I’ve really grown to love the weight and uniqueness of each piece. No matter what, each piece is completely different from the next.
I also have a background in graphic design, so a lot of my client work is done on the computer, which has the luxury of almost infinite undos. But within my own work I try to distance myself from the computer as much as possible, and with wood imparticular I like that you really don’t have that luxury of ‘undo’ which forces you to be more present and conscious when you’re creating. If you mess up or overwork a piece, that’s it. It’s harder to come back from it without having to re-do it all together. To me, it feels more satisfying to finish a piece that doesn’t have as many safety nets.

Scott Albrecht - Perspective part 1
Scott Albrecht – Perspective part 1

I see a lot of hands in your work, do they have a specific meaning?

I’ve been exploring this series for about 2 years now. The hands are meant to represent individual personalities or character traits. I started using the hand as the canvas with the idea that people are defined by their actions and the hand being symbolic to a person’s history or journey.

Scott Albrecht -Companions
Scott Albrecht -Companions

Do you have any specific goal with your art?

Not really. I think the goal is always to do more. But when I’m creating the pieces I take inspiration from a lot of personal events happening with myself and my friends & family. The works for me stem from something I usually don’t want to forget (a feeling, an idea, a point in time etc.) and the work is created loosely as a reminder for myself of these situations. With that in mind I think I’m looking to remember more and learn from experiences more consciously.

Scott Albrecht - Nothing is Defined
Scott Albrecht – Nothing is Defined

What can we expect from you in the future?

I’d like to start playing around with larger canvases and exploring some new mediums. I have some ideas for murals which I’d love to do, and would be new focus for me. I also have ideas for some sculptural and dimensional works which I’ve been wanting to get into for awhile.

About Scott Albrecht

Scott Albrecht was born in 1983 in New Brunswick, NJ, and raised in Bethlehem Township, NJ. In 2003, he received a degree in Graphic Design from The Art Institute of Philadelphia. Albrecht is currentl...View profile