A Medium With No Name: Topher Straus is Breaking Boundaries

Topher Straus is used to stepping out of bounds. As a Colorado native, he grew up skiing, hiking and exploring the outdoors. Now he’s breaking boundaries in the art world with his digital paintings – a medium for which he doesn’t even have a name.

“I don't have a name for it, but it’s inspired by nature and by experience and the outdoors,” Topher says. “It’s inspired by music and rhythm and sport. I’ve always seen nature this way and it’s been pretty fun and fantastic to convey it in a way that no one else ever has.”

Topher is a one-of-a-kind artist in his process, starting with a photograph – usually one of his own from an adventure – and then turning it into a digital painting which is then sublimated onto an aluminum sheet. The process bonds dye to the aluminum on a molecular level and the sheet is then coated in a glossy resin, giving it a partially mirrored finish. The result is art that is colorful, modern and familiar – Topher’s work conveys scenes from around Colorado (and beyond), capturing favorite places such as Maroon Bells, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado ski resorts and one of downtown Steamboat with Mount Werner aglow in the background.