MEET SAM BINDER: OUR FEBRUARY 2020 ARTIST OF THE MONTH

Sam Binder (instagram: fakesambinder) is a mammal who paints things in real life and worries on the internet. He is a Computer Science student at RIT and a transplant to Rochester, originally from Appleton, WI. He began painting as an accident in winter 2015 when he enrolled in an oil painting course at University of Wisconsin – Fox Valley under the tutelage of Judith Waller, thinking it would count for his fine art credit; it didn’t*, but painting proved to be a fruitful distraction, allowing him to clear his mind and think through other coursework while occupying his hands.

During the warmer months, Sam paints sheet metal with spray acrylic; during winter, he works in oils and stretches his own canvases, frequently in non-rectangular shapes. He prefers to work with liquin impasto when oil painting and Belton Molotow Premium when spray painting. He favors silicone spatulas and bound fan brushes in both mediums.

Sam’s other creative endeavors have included touring the midwest in a jam band, forming a DJ collective, writing for and editing two collections of poetry and short stories, and writing a pixel sorting program. In his spare time, he can be found puttering in the kitchen.

* somehow, a history of Rock & Roll class where a full 1/5th of the course was spent on Aerosmith did count for that fine art credit.