City College’s new assistant professor of drawing has a dream to have an outdoor drawing class and to travel with his students to create art influenced by the environment.
Brian Scott Campbell is a Brooklyn-based artist who just moved across the country to start a new life in Santa Barbara and began teaching his first semester in drawing at City College.
“I think he is incredibly smart and articulate. He is a phenomenal artist; he also has a lot of experience,” said Stephanie Dotson, the chair of the art department. “I would love to be in his class. I think he is very relatable and very clear as a teacher.”
Campbell was born in Columbus, Ohio 1983 and received a bachelor’s degree at the Columbus College of Art and Design 2005. In 2010, Campbell received his master’s degree at Mason Gross School of the Arts of Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ. He has been teaching art for the past six years.
What inspires Campbell to create art is music. He named his next exhibit, “I’ve Got Levitation,” after a song by his favorite band, 13th Floor Elevators.
“I am really into music, and I like to do music reviews. Also, I spend a lot of time record collecting. It’s a very nerdy pursuit,” Campbell said.
Campbell’s drawings are black and white, made with pencil and charcoal, and sometimes he likes to use spray paint on his drawings to create more texture.
He describes his drawings as landscape-based and nature-inspired with interior design elements.
“I take in a number of elements into my drawings to create my art, and I think my interest in nature gives my art a symbiotic relationship,” he said.
Working at City College has given him the opportunity to multitask with different subjects in the art department. He is grateful to have the chance to help students through their adversity of drawing.
“The students have been so fantastic this far, and helping [them] through their drawing problems encourages me as a teacher,” said Campbell.
“I’ve Got Levitation” will be exhibited from Nov. 9 to Dec. 7 in the Atkinson Gallery. The opening reception will be from 5 to 7 p.m. on Nov. 9.
