Mixed media artist Rolf Anthony Young creates abstract artworks informed by constant experimentation and a deep passion for the creative process.
He uses different mediums to express his creative energy, finding outlets in collage, digital media, paintings and even fashion. Lately, he is making abstract artworks which incorporate found objects, such as wood, raw canvas, blue tarps, yarn and nails. His work often blurs the lines between painting and sculpture.
“I don’t believe that one medium identifies me as an artist,” Young said. “I choose the medium that best executes my ideas. It is the idea that all creatives are in love with … but it is the responsibility of that creative individual to deliver that idea to an audience, which fascinates me.”
Some of his influences include the artistic philosophy of David Lynch, the work of Robert Rauschenberg, graffiti art, hip-hop and b-boy culture.
Found materials are important to Young’s practice. “Finding materials that others discard feels like I am rescuing something, giving life to something lost. This speaks to my heart as an artist,” he said.
“If you hear A Tribe Called Quest bumping through your neighborhood, don’t be alarmed. It’s just me saving the discarded wood of Charleston.”
Born in Vienna, Austria, artist Young is now based on James Island and has made art since studying at Virginia Commonwealth University, where he graduated in 2001. He worked as a graphic designer in Los Angeles until 2019, when he moved back to Charleston and returned his focus on artmaking.
Young is known in the local art community for his openness towards fellow artists. After he was one of six artists who received the 2023 South Carolina Arts Commission Emerging Artist Grant, he started consulting with other artists about grant applications.
“This grant changed my life. Receiving the award instilled in me a level of confidence in my artistic practice. People began to ask me how I won the award, [which led to] the creation of ROLF artist consulting,” he said. “Your local arts community is your lifeline to accelerating your art career.”
The work which won Young the grant is on view at the James Island Arts and Cultural Center until Aug. 1. In February 2024, he’ll have a solo exhibition at Park Circle Gallery.
Young said he is invested in showing his work in both traditional and nontraditional spaces. His work can often be found at local art markets.
“I am often thinking about how art can move beyond the traditional creative spaces,” he said, adding that opening his own art space in Charleston is one of his future goals.
His road to making art his full-time career was not without its challenges though.
“When I moved back to Charleston in 2019, the shit show of the pandemic hit. As someone with bipolar disorder, this was maybe the most difficult time for me. Besides learning to live a life without drugs or alcohol, another thing I had to do was seek professional help for my mental illness. At 45, I am so thankful I am where I am today,” Young said.
“As a mental health survivor, I plead with people who are struggling with their own mental health that they seek help. You are too important to let your illness dominate your life. Today, I am living proof that you can not only survive but thrive.”
His recent work reflects an attitude of creative freedom, much of which was discovered while making in his garage studio. Young enjoys the vibe of the unconventional space: “History has proven that garages are sacred spaces where ideas blossom into great things.”
What fuels the fire of his creativity, he said, is putting his work out into the world, especially in seeing how others respond to it.
“[My goal] is disrupting the idea of what art can be. I love to question everything. Attitude is important in my work. What I mean is, your art should be the baddest motherfucker in town. Fuck up people’s perspective. Make them uncomfortable. Don’t be a passive doormat. Life is fleeting.”
Check out Young’s work at lowbitlogic.com
or on Instagram @rolfanthonyyoungart
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