I am interested in exploring themes of desperation and confusion through a playful, and slightly humorous lens. Flowers are often presented as symbols of natural beauty, or in many cases, as benign decorations meant to "tie the room together". My work challenges this notion by placing an emotional weight onto the plants that center them as the protagonist in a fantastical conflict with both natural and unnatural forces. By pushing ourselves to assign human emotions to plants, we can better understand the devastating toll that we often unknowingly inflict onto the natural world. My aim is to create naturalistic spaces that feel both familiar and fantastical. By defying traditional perspectives and color schemes, while simultaneously embracing and distorting many well-worn landscape tropes, I can present a world that is free from the restrictions of objective scenery. I approach each painting as a problem that should, but may not be solved. Overlapping forms and discordant hues are washed and endlessly layered, or possibly left bare. Perspectives become confused and warped, unlocking hidden depths. Layers of acrylic, flashe and ink generate a tonal dissonance, creating a kind of chaotic harmony. Waterfalls flow upstream as torrential rains shift through countless planes on a single canvas. A strange flower strays from its node as it becomes impossibly intertwined with a distant poplar. When did the second moon appear?
 
Aaron Troyer paints naturalistic scenes that skirt the line between familiar and fantastical. He was born in Mansfield, Ohio, earning a BFA in painting from The Ohio State University in 2006. He has most recently displayed his paintings at No Place Gallery (Columbus, OH), Telefonica (Tijuana, Mexico) and Teros Gallery (San Diego, CA). In addition, he works as an educator and occasionally records and performs music with friends. Aaron currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, daughter, and dog.

I am interested in exploring themes of desperation and confusion through a playful, and slightly humorous lens. Flowers are often presented as symbols of natural beauty, or in many cases, as benign decorations meant to "tie the room together". My work challenges this notion by placing an emotional weight onto the plants that center them as the protagonist in a fantastical conflict with both natural and unnatural forces. By pushing ourselves to assign human emotions to plants, we can better understand the devastating toll that we often unknowingly inflict onto the natural world. My aim is to create naturalistic spaces that feel both familiar and fantastical. By defying traditional perspectives and color schemes, while simultaneously embracing and distorting many well-worn landscape tropes, I can present a world that is free from the restrictions of objective scenery. I approach each painting as a problem that should, but may not be solved. Overlapping forms and discordant hues are washed and endlessly layered, or possibly left bare. Perspectives become confused and warped, unlocking hidden depths. Layers of acrylic, flashe and ink generate a tonal dissonance, creating a kind of chaotic harmony. Waterfalls flow upstream as torrential rains shift through countless planes on a single canvas. A strange flower strays from its node as it becomes impossibly intertwined with a distant poplar. When did the second moon appear?
  
Aaron Troyer paints naturalistic scenes that skirt the line between familiar and fantastical. He was born in Mansfield, Ohio, earning a BFA in painting from The Ohio State University in 2006. He has most recently displayed his paintings at No Place Gallery (Columbus, OH), Telefonica (Tijuana, Mexico) and Teros Gallery (San Diego, CA). In addition, he works as an educator and occasionally records and performs music with friends. Aaron currently lives in Columbus, Ohio with his wife, daughter, and dog.