Troy Simmons
Miami, FL US
Website: http://WWW.TROYSIMMONSSTUDIO.COM
Profile Type: artist
Troy Simmons (b. 1975, Palestine, TX) is a sculptor and multimedia artist working with concrete, fabric, acrylic, construction debris and other found objects. In his Miami-based studio practice, Simmons experiments with color, texture and structure to create a unique visual language evoking identity and habitat. Raised between the urban landscape of Houston and his grandfather’s hand-built farmhouse in East Texas, Simmons grew up fascinated by natural forms of habitation and the vernacular structure of simple dwellings. A self-taught artist since his early teens, Simmons’ creative inclinations were complimented by his studies of Environmental Science at Sam Houston State University and Architectural Technology at Oklahoma State University. His research on organic growth, animal nest-making and the vernacular architecture of ancient cultures allowed him to recognize functional design as a survival instinct across species, eventually leading to an artistic investigation of identity as the difference between exterior and interior space. Simmons’ work has appeared at Art Basel Miami Beach, VOLTA New York, VOLTA Basel Switzerland, Art Paris, Boca Raton Museum of Art and the Cornell Art Museum. The recipient of an Oolite Ellies Creator Award, Simmons has completed residencies at Artpace San Antonio and the Atlantic Center for the Arts. His work is held in private and corporate collections across the United States, Abu Dhabi, Germany and Switzerland. To date, Simmons has completed a number of permanent public work commissions – including a building exterior in Miami’s Wynwood neighborhood commissioned by Goldman Global Arts, a sculptural entryway commissioned by Bombardier Inc. at Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport and a large scaled wall sculpture for Charles Schwab's corporate offices in Austin Texas.