By Angela Romeo
I cannot deny that I have an affinity for any art project that is so far out of the box it is a square again. Scott Lloyd Doten has hit that mark for me.
“My name is Scott Lloyd Doten. I have worked as an artist and designer for 28 years. For 27 of those years I have lived in the High Desert of Joshua Tree. I am an artist but there were side trips along the way. In high school I worked with my father creating gold and silver jewelry. I was a dental tech for eight years and learned to carve every tooth in the mouth, making ‘miniature sculptures’. I studied Hollywood movie makeup and special effects. I worked in a welding shop as a certified structural welder.” For the past 15 years, he has been designing and building fine art, sculptures, furniture and paintings.
His work is an interesting mix of all the aforementioned and art participation. “I have a large studio in Joshua Tree named Studio Shangri La. In the studio we have a gallery area and workspace. Behind the studio we have a large art installation called Joshua Tree Drive In. It’s a 1950’s drive-in set up as an art photo area.”
Fascinating to me is Scott’s Drive-In. The venue is fluid and can change on the whim of the artist. “The Drive-In is an art installation set up to be a photo shoot location and to be reminiscent of 50’s B movies. It changes for different events and art shows. Recently we had an art show called The Joshua Tree Drive-In Alien Invasion, complete with flying saucers and aliens. It was a blast,” said Scott.
While all artwork requires the viewer to participate, there is something different about an art installation. It requires more than passive participation. “When I do an art installation, I like to hide things in them for people to find and explore. I hid many small items and waited to see who could spot them. We also had people come dressed up 1950s style and I put them in the installation and I photographed them. They then became a permanent part of my art photography,” noted Scott.
“I live in the Joshua Tree but I grew up in Palm Springs so it is hard to escape that influence of modern artwork, sculptures, and architecture. My earliest art classes were taken at the Palm Springs Art Museum. Peggy Vermeer was my Art teacher,” continued Scott. “My passion is painting and sculpture. Being a kid in 1970s Palm Springs inspires both. That modern art has influenced the art I create. At the same time it has not kept me from exploring other areas for creative work and inspiration. Always making some kind of artwork, evolving and trying new ways to do art is the way I express myself to the world. I love the feedback I get from art lovers that enjoy my artwork. I am currently working on two Joshua Trees. They are about 14′ tall made from hundreds of bottles and steel. This has taken many years to plan and execute. It’s very exciting to see my design come to life.”
Scott will be participating in the Highway 62 Open Studio Art Tours. The tour covers two weekends in October, October 14 -15 and October 21 – 22, 2017.
“I have been a part of this event since 2012. I enjoy the chance to meet art collectors from around the world and have them come to my studio. This tour is unique in that it allows visitors to visit the studio of many artists. Seeing the work in a gallery, private residence or public setting and seeing where it is created is a different experience. This year I will be sharing my large studio with 3 other artists it will be lots of fun. My studio will also be open October 28 and 29, 10am-9pm, for Joshua Tree Dia de los Muertos Art Show.”
For more information on Scott Lloyd Doten visit scottdoten.com
For more information on the upcoming Highway 62 Artists Open Studio Tour visit www.hwy62arttours.org.
