August 2013 Cover
Cover Arist: Scott Hove

Scott Hove was born and raised in the San Francisco Bay area. He has been doing art for over 30 years, and has in the past several years gained some recognition for his attractive and violent cakelike sculptures, installations, photographs, and the bizarre fantasy that makes up his work. He has shown in many magazines, been on the Cooking Channel, been a feature on hundreds of blogs, and been in gallery and museum shows and art fairs all over the US and Europe. His style of work is very aggressive in how it at once seduces and scares the viewer, and builds a compelling and contradictory atmosphere. He currently lives and works in Oakland, California.

thalo: Can you tell us about your Cakeland Installations and this month’s cover piece, First Chandelier?

Scott Hove: Hi, and thank you for featuring me on this month's cover!  The Cakeland series of installations and sculptures are artifacts from this self-invented cake fantasy place that I am obsessed with. I always am on the lookout for emotionally jarring, immersive-style installations. I rarely see what I hope for, so I use this Cakeland theme as a starting point to create what I wish was there! The Chandelier was my first attempt to make a free hanging cake sculpture, and I love the elegance and functionality of chandeliers. Voila!.

th: Your artwork is very unique, edgy and captivating.  What life experiences or other artists influence you?

SH: I try to make my work edgy, but also indulgent. It is my hope that my work comes across as well crafted and aesthetically correct. My experiences of seeing artists work without sufficient training in either craft or aesthetics really drives me to make a point about the importance of both! I am very influenced by traditional and decorative arts from all points in time, and all traditions. There is something to be learned from them all, and this helps us grow as artists. Also, I am interested in art that suggests an archetype of universal human experience, such as the pursuit of beauty, happiness, and the fear of not achieving this pursuit. The power of archetypes is that we can find in them our own personal story.

th: . In addition to installations, with various mediums, and sculpting, you also paint and draw.  Are you partial to any one artistic genre?

SH: I have multiple bodies of work, many of which are barely known. I have done many mixed media assemblage sculptures. I have a large series of sculptures and installations made of rope using traditional sailor’s knots, and I have over a thousand drawings and paintings and a lot of murals. Though the cake sculptures have been the main feature lately, I still see myself primarily as a painter.

th: Do you have any advice for art students and/or aspiring artists?

SH: I have more advice to aspiring artists and students than anyone would ever care to listen to! There are a couple of things I wish I had been told earlier on. First, determination is more of a deciding factor for a successful art career than talent. Every good artist needs talent certainly, but it is the artist who is serious enough to fight and make sacrifices who will rise. I've seen plenty of very talented colleagues drop off the map as soon as they are faced with difficulty or lack of personal confidence. Second, become a grateful participant in your local art community. This way you will learn who is doing what, and see that the community is based on good people working together. It’s not about getting a degree or what is on your resume, and it’s not about having to swim with sharks. Do good art, let yourself make friends, and know what’s going on in the art world- you will be fine!

To learn more about Scott Hove, please visit his website.