AS IS | Troy Dugas
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    • 2 min read

AS IS | Troy Dugas

Artist

From Louisiana, US

Based in Lafayette, Louisiana, US


Troy's works of art consist of countless meticulously compiled shredded and cut pieces of various materials - recycled yarn, paper, plastic, ... Repurposed and given new life in Troy's unique creation process


These pieces were created by hand tufting recycled cotton yarns with additional embellishments and other materials such as vintage military patches, fringe, buttons, and rope. /// I’m inspired by motifs and images from ancient textiles and indigenous folk art reimagined. My work becomes an expression of appreciation, adoration, and connection. These sources offer aesthetic forms to explore in search of a deeper personal and universal expression.


A: Please, tell us a bit more about yourself. What brought you into art?


T: Growing up in a small, poor south-Louisiana town, I experienced a necessity for inventiveness and creativity demonstrated by a grandmother who made curtains and quilts from old clothes, crocheted hats incorporating plastic milk cartons, and twisted small chalices from bubble gum wrappers like magic in front of my eyes.


In my early 20s I set an intention that art - making would be an everlasting activity in my life, and for the last 30 years, for better or worse, it has been.


A: What inspires you the most?


T: Outsider art, Indigenous folk art, the history of textiles, and the history of Modern art.


A: Do you have any specific rituals while working (creating)?


T: The rituals before making art are more important to me which include getting right in mind and body.


A: What would you recommend to someone new to art (an artist or just an admirer), what to begin with?


T: As a maker or viewer art can teach you a lot about yourself. Explore everything related to your interest.


A: Your top 3 adjectives related to art?


T: Vision, Connection, Style.



A: The best angle to look at art is from ...?


T: Formal, Historical, Critical, Personal angles.


A: The perfect phrase to start any conversation about art is: ...?


T: "How is it made?"


A: Must-read books to help us talk about art (or do we even need them)?


T: Utopia Parkway: The Life and Work of Joseph Cornell.


A: If you could change one thing in the art world - what would it be?


T: I went to one of the top art schools in New York and lived there for seven years. In my mind that’s where the art world you’re asking about exist. The top art institutes, blue chip galleries, and major museums all in one city. It’s a brutal ecosystem for a struggling artist but an educational one as well. Only one person I went to school with actually makes a living being a full time artist. It would be nice if the odds were better.


A: Please, share your favorite quote (not necessarily related to art).


T: You have made it to your cool down.



Thank you!


For more: visit or IG



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