Topher Straus

First Class, Modern Figurative Expressionist Painting, 2020, Ltd Ed

2020

Topher Straus's body of work represents an unconventional, stylized approach to depicting natural and urban landscapes. Sublimated onto large-scale metal sheets, they are powerful statement pieces that instantly surprise and engage the viewer. His process merges technology with an artist’s eye for form and color to highlight the essence of each subject matter, allowing his digital creations to pop off the metal substrate. Born and raised in Denver, Colorado in 1974, Straus grew up enjoying every opportunity to hike, ski, camp or otherwise spending time outdoors in nature. He left to study at Syracuse University in New York receiving a Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1997. His first career in directing documentary narrative films and advertising, took him to Los Angeles and later, New Zealand. His achievements in this medium included the appearance of his films in numerous international film festivals. In 2018, after a decade of professional film making, Straus returned to Denver and shifted his focus. He began fervently working toward becoming a full-time fine artist, hosting his first solo show in 2019. His second solo show, The Parks, debuted at a Denver gallery and garnered attention for his modern approach to the depiction of iconic landscapes, solidifying his style, vision and emergence into the art scene. The exhibit was also featured later that year at the American Mountaineering Museum. His colorful and dynamic work has been exhibited in galleries, institutions, museums and private collections throughout the United States and overseas. Straus is proud to have been recognized on a national level with the US National Park Service. Beginning in 2021 his “Tetons National Park” painting will be on permanent exhibit at the visitor’s center in the Grand Tetons National Park in Wyoming. Straus is an active, enthusiastic promoter of his own work and the art community overall through his large social media presence. He currently lives and works above Denver in the foothills of Golden, Colorado surrounded by the wilderness that inspires him. He has raised over $40,000 (USD) for charities he believes and continues to support organizations he believes in through his TOPHER GIVES initiative. He is currently represented by in Vail, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Evergreen and Boulder Colorado as well as in Los Gatos, California and Dallas, Texas.