Trenton Baylor:
My work is inspired by the young seedlings growing in the backyard and is a reflection of my interest in machinery. I developed a love of nature while helping my mother in her garden as a young boy and I am certain that the many trips South in the passenger seat of my father’s semi-truck account for my interest in machinery. It has been these experiences throughout the years that have become the theme and formal aesthetic of my art. As an aesthetic element, nature is alluded to in the surface coloration, form, organic transitions, and natural materials. In contrast, the use of machine-made parts, polished surfaces, steel, aluminum, and hard edges connote the mechanical. In combination these two opposing forces fight and compliment each other in a way that requires a delicate balance. I anticipate working toward this balance for years to come.

In my sculpture, interpretation of natural elements such as: roots, tree trunks, leaves, dirt are easy to see. There are equally obvious references to machinery: walking beams, leaf springs, nuts, and bolts are present throughout my work. However, the incorporation of natural and mechanical characteristics in my sculpture is only the aesthetic and conceptual vocabulary for form. It is not the concept and theme of my work that is important, but instead it is the process of creating them that I see as the real art. The motivation for continually creating new work is and always will be a desire to play. I could use a more sophisticated word such as: experiment, investigate, or explore, to describe my creative activity, but what I really enjoy is playing. The activity of discovery and experimentation with the many tools and materials used in the process of creating is without a doubt more rewarding than the end result. It is my inquisitive nature and love of the process of creating that motivates my creative activity.

The desire to discover different ways to visually and/or physically create forms has led to my new venture into furniture making. I am pleased with the success of my past sculptural objects that incorporate natural and machine-like elements, but I have become enthusiastic about the idea of creating similar forms with a function. I choose not to make a distinction between sculpture and furniture other than their specific functions and prefer to call them functional sculpture. However, as a new avenue for exploration I have moved from table top sculpture to making the tables themselves the sculpture. The production of this new body of work has been thus far more rewarding than any other, simply because it has challenged my abilities and ideals and has developed my own understanding of what art is and what it can be. It is through this process that I am continually challenged to actively search for alternative methods of construction, as well as reconstructing my concepts of art and art making.

Aluminum Bridge Chair	Aluminum Bridge Bench
Burning Bush Table	Red Root Chair
Weed	Roots
Bush	Propagation