#72: Matt Scobey Matt Scobey is a practical artist and jack-of-all-trades creative with a jones for graphic design, illustration, hand-lettering, whimsical puzzles and patterns, and grassroots collaborative projects. Some of those collaborations have been with the art collective Bored of Directors, others with underground publications, art museums and film festivals.
See also: - City Beautiful 2.0: A Modern Interpretation of the Built Environment - Matt Scobey's Not for Sale: Denver: Art in the most unusual places - Denverites open an Alley Gallery at Art Basel Miami Beach
Scobey has also worked hand in hand with Create Denver, building an installation at the Spire during Create Denver Week 2011; this year, he's contributing flexible design elements to a co-working element of the city agency's City Beautiful 2.0 exhibit, which opens at the McNichols Building on Friday, May 10, with a reception from 5 to 8 p.m.
How does a young artist like Scobey, with many skills and interests that sometimes fly under the radar, make it in the big city? We asked him to answer our 100CC questionnaire; Scobey's take on the artist's life follows.
Westword: If you could collaborate with anyone in history, who would it be, and why?
Matt Scobey: Either of my grandfathers. They both died when I was very young, and I think it would be amazing to work with them on a project. If you were thinking specifically about artists, I would say Rammellzee, Margaret Kilgallen and/or Mary Harris Jones for different reasons.
What and who in the world is interesting to you right now, and why?
Being alive and feeling like I'm really making the most of my time on this little planet.
Traveling.
Friends and family. My niece Emma and nephew Henry. Friends and the work they are doing. Chris Gregori, Tony Farfalla, Elena Stonaker, Petra Sertic, Ådam Sikorski, Jazzmyn Barbossa, Cortney Stell, Katrin Davis, Dmitri Obergfell and Zach Reini, to name a few.
What's one art trend you want to see die this year?
I think trends can actually be really amusing/entertaining. Å lot of inspiration in my personal work comes from silly pop-culture trends and song lyrics.
Continue reading for more on Matt Scobey
What's your day job?
Currently, I spend my days working as an independent designer for a few small clients, washing dishes at Backstage Coffee and playing around with a few projects for Bored of Directors, a small creative collective. We work on a lot of different types of art and design projects and throw parties every once in a while. Our last project was a newsprint publication titled Native Empire, and we threw parties in Denver and Brooklyn to celebrate its release.
A mystery patron offers you unlimited funds for life. What will you do with it?
I have no idea. I've never thought of that. Buy a little piece of land and start building things.
What's the one thing Denver (or Colorado) could do to help the arts?
I think the city of Denver is a very supportive place for an artist/designer to be. The city actively sponsors a lot of interesting events and conferences that emphasize the importance of the creative industry. I have always been able to find interesting clients to work with on contract and commission. That said, it is still very hard to exist solely as an artist in Denver. Most artists have to supplement income working in education, design and service industries.
Who is your favorite Colorado Creative?
Åndrew Bohn.
What's on your agenda for the rest of 2013?
Good times. I've been working on some ideas for concrete sculpture utilizing found forms and am hoping to paint a few murals over the summer. Quilt collaboration with Rebecca Peebles. Designing a few websites. Bike rides, late nights and applying to public art calls and residencies.
Throughout the year, we'll be shining the spotlight on 100 superstars from Denver's rich creative community. Stay tuned to Show and Tell for more, or visit the 100 Colorado Creatives archive to catch up.
Do you have a suggestion for a future profile? Feel free to leave your picks in the comments.
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