The rhythm of change and the rhythm of movement: Troy Campbell and the Battambang Beer Box Birds
Sometimes people just make a spontaneous decision and find themselves living somewhere else; at least those of with wanderlust in their blood do. A large subset of those who do are creative artists and have ways of sharing that story. Artist and musician Troy Campbell, originally from Augusta, Georgia, is one such traveller.
Last year Troy lit out from Phnom Penh for Battambang for a change of scenery, a city where he knew no one. He was able to get some painting done in between teaching English on-line and that work makes up an exhibition opening this week at Cloud.
“The Battambang Beer Box Birds series was really a matter of what do I have on hand?” explained Troy. “I’ve had experiences with cardboard boxes before, drumming on them at open mics and so on, it’s kind of a running theme.”
A feature of Troy’s painting is the use of collected ephemera, from bus tickets to tourist guides to empty tea packets, that he picks up along the way and uses to add extra texture and to reflect the environment he is working within.
“This is not just the standard painting on a box. The boxes have been collaged over using material from my collections box. There is a design, a geometry and a pattern, taking the Cambodia Beer logo, ‘the finest of European ingredients’ [and] not mocking it but doing something interesting design-wise. While I’m not proud of it, I did go through a lot of boxes of beer in Battambang, so they were easily sourced. There was a bit of an homage as well to ‘okay, I’m here, it’s part of my life’ and it’s indigenous material. And even finding paint was actually a challenge in Battambang.”
If the drive is there, one figures out something. Is there ink? Is there charcoal? You might use turmeric or curry spices, anything that leaves a stain. I once spent a year in my home town taking apart a baby grand piano and I got a very good show out of it featuring sculptures made out of grand piano parts. And no pigment.”, he added.
Troy Campbell – Inspirations
Among the artists that Troy draws inspiration from is Sophea Pich, a Cambodian sculptor working with rattan and bamboo who studied at the Art Institute of Chicago. “Beautiful sculptures; I’m a sucker for his work. He made a great comment that rattan and bamboo are flexible and tough, just like the Cambodian people. I guess you could say that about the cardboard beer boxes too.”
New vistas, new experiences, new art? “Yeah, travelling Troy. I’ve toured with two different circuses, I’m used to that roustabout lifestyle and touring with bands. I had to get a new passport recently. Myy old one was mostly filled up with Cambodian visas, that whole page, but also it was exclusively Asia. I’ve never been to Europe or Australia. Cambodia has been my second home for a while, it’s becoming my first home.”
Not to throw a Kerouac cliché but there is certainly an invigoration in a new place, even if it’s a terrible experience, like Jack’s in Mexico City. I came to Cambodia initially for that reason. Whatever that impetus is to uproot and absorb some different light, whatever photosynthesis occurs. There’s a complete lack of complacency when you’re in a new surrounding, new stimuli, new everything, where can I buy toothpaste? All of a sudden I’m in Battambang. It was a great fresh start, and I think that mobilised me. At that time I was filled with a new energy. It was a fertile time. I enjoyed it. ”
His most recent return to Cambodia, in January 2020, was something of an adventure. “Ah, my great escape. I was teaching in Nanning, China, which is just north of Hanoi, very close to the Vietnamese border. This was still when things were very mysterious, before COVID had a name and I found myself under armed guard lockdown in the university I was working in. I had to break my employment contract so I could leave, to get off campus. Just to get off campus was a miracle, I had to show all sorts of officially stamped paperwork. And then could I even get a cab? Could I get on the subway? Could I get to the airport? These were unknowns. I had a ticket, but could I fly?
“The answer could very easily have been no at any given step. I spent the better part of the day in the international terminal at the Shenzhen airport, had three meals, and every single flight on the boards that day was to Phnom Penh or Sihanoukville. It was scary. Having left my campus I don’t know if I could have gone back.”
Apart from catching Troy behind a drumkit on stages around Phnom Penh, you can view the Battambang Beer Box Birds series exhibition at Cloud, with the official opening on Wednesday 15th at 6.30 pm.
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Author: Leon Havana
A trained chef and sports aficionado with extensive experience across South America and Asia. Leon’s culinary creations celebrate local flavors, while his love for sports like football and boxing connects him with local communities.
