Troy Passey: left unsaid

Troy Passey bases his artwork on the elements of language and utilizes words and phrases as the centerpiece of his drawings.  Passey comes to art from literature, avowing that “it was the look of the words that drew him to become a visual artist, not a writer.” In his art, texts act both as visual and conceptual elements. He finds inspiration in poetry and literature, at times echoing sentiments from such luminaries as Shakespeare, Dickenson, or Nietzsche as well as verbal references derived from contemporary films or musical lyrics.  Rarely without paper and pencil, Passey records the personal, the private, the loud and the obnoxious, words that have something to say. In his art Passey melds idea with image.

Passey is a fourth-generation Idahoan raised on a farm in Paris, Idaho   He attended Utah State University as an English major, with a minor in art history. In 1995, he attended BoiseStateUniversity where he received an MA in English.  Passey currently teaches writing as an adjunct professor at BoiseStateUniversity.