Trevor Dahl (b. 1995, Northern California, lives and works in Salt Lake City, UT) spent his youth in over 10 cities throughout the United States. Throughout the changing environments of his childhood, Trevor found stability in drawing, music, and reading. He was raised in a devout LDS family and left the church at 17, seeking to enter adulthood with a fresh perception of the world and shaping his own moral compass. He began his education in visual arts on scholarship with honors at Utah State University in 2013. He left university early to travel and pursue art on his terms, becoming a self-taught artist in multitude of mediums, but primarily painting & drawing.
Trevor has been living and working in Salt Lake City since 2016. His work is quickly gaining traction: he is consistently involved in public art projects commissioned by public and private sectors, as well as art shows and events. He supports the arts community by leading Odd Star Studios, an artist collective & warehouse in Guadalupe, Salt Lake City. Trevor has been in many group exhibitions; he is also the recipient of various grants, awards, and support from companies and well-regarded brands. Painting and other creative techniques delve into his psyche to materialize spiritually-charged, playful, absurd images as archetypal offerings for viewers to connect their sense of individuality with the collective (un)consciousness. Intricately weaving his diverse upbringing, relentless pursuit of artistic self-discovery, and unwavering commitment to community engagement, Trevor Dahl emerges not only as a self-taught artist but as a passionate storyteller, inviting viewers to connect with his vibrant narrative and unique inner worlds.
ARTIST STATEMENT
In the realm of artistic creation, Trevor Dahl emerges as a luminary voice, navigating the complexities of his inner world to craft a visual language that communicates ineffable personal experiences. His work serves as an exploration of the convergence of inner and outer realities, embracing them in their purest states. Populated by figures, landscapes, and objects, Trevor’s creations serve as an honest rendering of his psyche, presenting a mythological narrative rich in archetypes. A growing cast of recurring characters and symbols unfolds—living entities often encountered in Trevor’s vivid and transformative dreams. These beings exist in and as numinous landscapes, simultaneously playful, visceral, contemplative, and absurd. Each archetype carries its own agenda, contributing to a mythology that portrays the elasticity of being. Guiding viewers with a tender vulnerability, Trevor’s work invites them to navigate their own imaginations, finding freedom to coexist with and accept the reality of their emotions. The work conveys trust, bringing a sense of nearness to the collective unconscious in the midst of the unknown. Trevor’s exploration of these psychic realms is grounded in a practice he calls “free doodling.” Using committal drawing tools like markers or pastels, he creates preliminary drawings, striving to reject thinking and dissolve into a space of pure acceptance. This process results in a visual jazz—a fusion of familiar characters and spontaneous, accidental updates of personal or collective myths. For Trevor, this meditative ritual is deeply important, for it serves as a connection to Divinity, and produces visual maps that deepen Self-knowledge. Trevor Dahl’s artistic odyssey is not merely an expression of self, but a shared exploration of the universal human experience, a visual journey that beckons viewers to find solace, acceptance, and revelation within the intricate tapestry of their own inner landscapes.
LINKS
https://goodhappystuff.com
IMAGES
Trevor Dahl, “The Field of Love,” 2023, oil on canvas, 44 x 36 in.
Trevor Dahl, “Put ’em Up,” 2023, oil on canvas, 44 x 36 in.
Trevor Dahl, “EyesSee,” 2023, gouache on paper, 12 x 9 in.
Trevor Dahl, “Southwestern Pilgrimage,” 2022, acrylic on canvas, 27 x 36 in.
Trevor Dahl, “Reconnection of the Divine Circuits,” 2023, oil on canvas, 44 x 36 in.
Trevor Dahl, “The Jewel of the Desert,” 2022, oil & acrylic on canvas, 36 x 27 in.
Trevor Dahl, “Integration,” 2023, oil on canvas, 36 x 36 in.
Trevor Dahl, “The Blob,” 2022, acrylic on wood, 14 x 11 in.
Trevor Dahl, “Self Portrait,” 2021, oil on canvas, 18 x 24 in.
Trevor Dahl, “Jazz Improv,” 2023, oil on canvas, 36 x 27 in.
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Categories: Painting | Utah Artists - D
