Scott Naylor's art is not only meant to be seen, but also to be heard.
Naylor, a 27-year-old Rockford resident, makes functional speakers into art. "There are companies that make cool speakers," he says. "But there aren't any companies that make sculptural speakers in the sense that their primary purpose is shared."
Practicing his craft for the past three years, Naylor recently formed
Loud Art Design with ambitions to sell his pieces on a larger scale to resorts, bars, restaurants and other businesses in the hospitality industry. "Businesses are already spending money on lighting, artwork and sound," he says. "What I'm doing is combining those three into a cohesive, well-developed work of art."
Naylor took an interest in both art and electronics growing up, realizing he had a gift for both. "As a kid, I would take apart electronics and figure out how they worked. My father, an electrician, taught me all the ins and outs," says Naylor. "I was also a DJ, and I have always loved music and anything related to the production of music."
Purposeful Art
He enrolled at
Kendall College of Art and Design to blend and further develop his passions, graduating in 2006 with a bachelor's in fine arts in sculpture and functional art. One of the first students to receive the specialized degree that focuses less on typical studio courses like drawing and painting and more on design and construction skills, Naylor describes his work as creative problem solving through purposeful art.
During his senior year, Naylor was not only chosen to receive the college's Studio Excellence Award, which recognizes one senior from each studio program, but he also won a student competition hosted by the Grand Rapids-based investor relations firm,
Lambert, Edwards & Associates.
"We moved into a new office and needed art in the lobby, and thought the competition would be a good way to establish a partnership with Kendall," says Jeff Lambert, president of Grand Rapids-based Lambert, Edwards & Associates. Naylor's winning entry earned him $1,000 in exchange for the piece. The pair of speakers, which is displayed above LE&A's reception desk, is a set of two mahogany half-moons, radiating in every direction with LED-tipped aluminum tubing.
"Scott's piece resonated because it represented us as the hub of disparate communication and really translated well for us," says Lambert. "We get questions about where the pieces came from. Art should create a conversation, and in this case it serves its purpose of creating discussions about our business." Though the firm doesn't currently use the piece as a functional speaker, Lambert said they may consider doing so when the firm moves into its new office space next spring.
Solo Act
Naylor's sculptural speakers, which can range in price from $500 to $20,000, are all constructed with high-quality electronics to please both art critics and those with discriminating aural taste buds. Naylor currently operates as a one-man show, taking two days to two months to create each custom piece.
Of his decision to establish Loud Art as full-time business and not just a hobby, Naylor says: "it's a little unnerving at times, but I have a lot of people who are really passionate about what I'm doing and get really excited. That's encouraging because it's something new that hasn't been done before." Included in those who are behind him are his colleagues at
Innovative Cleaning Equipment in Kalamazoo, where Naylor is employed as a product developer.
Naylor splits his post 9-to5 time between his home in Rockford, where he lives with his wife and daughter, and his working studio in
Tanglefoot Studio at 314 Straight Ave SW. Art aficionados can tour Naylor's studio during
Tanglefoot's open studio event in November.
"Grand Rapids has shifted away from a furniture city and more toward art appreciation," says Naylor. "There are a lot of opportunities for artists here."
Naylor's studio in the Tanglefoot Company Warehouse is flanked by speakers seamlessly integrated within sculptures inspired by organic and geometric shapes. A large rectangular framed photo taken by
Tim LaDuke hangs from the ceiling. Naylor has wired the photo to beat to music emitted from speakers attached to its rear surface and installed lighting to cast a shifting wash of color on the wall behind it. Whereas most of Naylor's earlier pieces are easily identified as speakers, the photo is part of a new product line that may surprise beholders with its shared functions.
"All my pieces are at least two-fold – they're all speakers but they're also sculptures," says Naylor. "But the ones I get the most juiced about are the ones that are three-in-one. It's something completely different."
A Work in ProgressThe studio has a separate area for Naylor's office space, which includes two shelves of 464 different craft beer bottles that he has collected over the past three years. Past the office is Naylor's storage room, which is layered with materials ranging from quilt batting to wood to acrylic. Next to that are a painting room and a workshop with several works in progress.
One of the sets in progress is made of hand-shaped wood, painted varying shades of green and orange. These speakers are made to hang from a ceiling and will be fit with LED lighting. "The lighting will be able to be controlled by the user," says Naylor. "A bartender, for instance, could switch them to red during dinner, white to make it brighter during the day, or to beat to the music when dancing starts at 10:30. There are are a lot of different options."
Another piece in Naylor's gallery is a pair of futuristic speakers consisting of a trio of hand-laid rounded fiberglass shapes of varying sizes. This set was recently purchased by
Armick, a Kentwood-based company that designs equipment for military applications.
"We're doing a remodel in our facility, and thought it would be good to show customers coming in and also just to use on a day-to-day basis," says Blair Heethuis, who purchased the speakers for Armick. "Not only does Scott do a lot of creative things, but I also like to be able to support a local businessman."
Though Naylor says he'd continue do custom pieces for interested private customers, he does see the bulk of his business happening in the commercial space. He says he will likely work through a distributor to sell his pieces to businesses around the world, and says he has the resources to get it done if he was approached with a high-volume order tomorrow. And though he is tight-lipped about future projects, Naylor is hopeful about a proposal he recently submitted to have his pieces used in a themed bar in Michigan.
"Designers for institutions in the people-pleasing markets often have budgets for sound, art and lighting," says Naylor. "If I can give them something the fits two or three of those molds, it's a great opportunity for them to get something unique."
Kelly Quintanilla is a freelance writer born, raised and living in West Michigan. She is also the marketing director at Ada-based CUSO Development Co.
Photos:Scott Naylor artist and owner of Loud Art
Fresh coat of paint on work in progress
Fiberglass molds
Finished art work
Art work next to inspiration -Photo Courtesy of Scott Naylor
Photographs by
Brian Kelly -All Rights Reserved