Troy Campbell has been behind the lens for more than two decades. He photographs high-end interior design projects and has more than 70 magazine covers to his name. But he credits a “magic moment” for launching his fine art career: A friend referred the curator of the Four Seasons Hotel Miami’s public collection to look at a few of Campbell’s art pieces that he had created to hang in his studio. The meeting resulted in the curator selecting some of his works for the hotel’s collection.
Growing up hiking in the Everglades, Campbell says the preserve now lacks wildlife and he hopes his art’s environmental references can help others gain an appreciation for the natural world. “I realized I could use my creativity as a platform not only to express myself but also to help protect the things I’m passionate about, such as the Everglades,” says Campbell, who has a studio in Miami. “Perhaps through appreciation will come conservation.”
Read on to learn more about Campbell’s latest works.
AVM: What are the themes in your artwork?
Campbell: Obviously nature, not to sound cliché. Right now, I’m crazy about metallics. They give a quiet elegance to a piece. There is something about a metallic look when contrasted with a natural texture that I’m wild about.
Where do you find inspiration?
I try not to look at other artists. I want my expression to remain pure. On my Everglades hikes, there are special spots. I call them “magic areas.” You can hike for miles and then all of a sudden you will come across a cypress dome or orchid hammock that is unlike anything you can imagine.
Tell us about your new works in the Butterfly Specimens and Prosperity collections.
Butterfly Specimens are inspired by those glass specimen cases you see butterflies displayed in. I remember there was this giant taxidermy store in Paris [that] had thousands of butterflies and moths in these glass cases. It was just amazing. My butterfly studies are like little biotopes of flora and habitat that the specimen may live in. With Prosperity, I wanted to do a modern version of a traditional landscape. I took the silhouettes and shapes from a landscape and filled them with metallic, bronze, gold, and silver textures. Ironically, they ended up looking like an antique Asian room screen with a modern twist.
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