BIO

Scott Randol is a sculptor from Kansas City, MO. Before he identified as a sculptor, Randol spent his working career in union jobs to support his family, but began exploring his artistic questions independently in sculpture classes and through internships with working artists. Instead of attending college, Randol spent his early artistic career in the studio with other sculptors, such as John Beasley, Kwan Wu, Elden and Kim Tefft, and Robin Richerson. He learned casting methods and foundry work a little over time with the help of books from the local library, mentors, and lessons from constructing his own blast furnace in 1987. His sculptures start conversations about nature, history, and the human ability to create art from any available tools. Today, Randol’s work has appeared throughout the area in galleries, Union Station, private residences, business lobbies and offices. Scott Randol lives in the KC area with his wife and experiments with new sculptural methods in his fire-proof garage.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Scott Randol’s sculptures worry the area between subconscious thought and the remembrance of dreams. Certain indelible images and feelings remain in our minds long after awakening from our most imaginative states. Randol values imagination above representation, and the call back to hieroglyphs, fetishes, and figurines encourages the audience to consider our cultural similarities with the artists who created these primeval depictions. His sculptures are in communication with older forms of living and processes, and exist as physical representations of a deeply contemplative practice. Randol’s freestanding sculptures evoke ancient and enduring concepts. His works combine imaginative play with anthropological interests, which find a common overlap in his 5,000 year old sculpture techniques—bronze casting in lost wax investment, plaster molds, and sand. The lost wax bronze casts that are born of this imagination toe the line between alien and familiar. His bronze figures are inspired by the ancient and monolithic artworks of lost civilizations, and many incorporate more modern styles from familiar eras, like Abstract Expressionism and contemporary architecture. “As a sculptor, I'm using the materials available to me—similar to indigenous people who make homes out of the materials native to their environment.”

In addition, he creates work with a future, unknown architecture in mind: that of a private household. These abstract sculptures are meant for interiors—pressed into a nook in a living room, or on display in a well-lighted hall. His metal and bronze work is inspired by mid-century sculptors like Dorothy Dehner, Reg Butler, Kenneth Armitage, and David Smith. Randol’s figures represent a human form, but deny the viewer concrete details that reveal any specific information. Instead, viewers find themselves relying on intuition and trust in the materials to fill in the missing attributes. Randol leaves some of his work up to chance, and the final product of any pour—no matter how carefully sketched and planned—is often a pleasant surprise.