Born and raised in Northern Indiana and raised in Southern Michigan, respectively, Roscoe Wilson’s environmental values were shaped by experiencing nature and discovering an awareness that only a forest, lake, and field can offer. He received a BA from Wabash College (IN), an MA in Painting and Printmaking from Purdue University (IN), and an MFA from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. It was at the latter that he furthered his interdisciplinary education by studying printmaking, sculptural installation, and painting. While at UWM, he studied the history of environmentalism and drew inspiration for his artwork from former Wisconsin residents and environmental pioneers like John Muir and Aldo Leopold. Since 2003, he has taught at Miami University regional campuses, and is currently a Professor of Art in the Department of Humanities and Creative Arts, and the Department of Art.
My work involves the dilemma of consumerism and waste in contemporary society. Consumerism is a natural attribute of the human condition. We consume to live but we do not need to live to consume. We can be more conscientious about what, why, and how much we consume and waste. We buy and sell, save, collect, and ultimately discard practically everything that is in our temporary possession. The problem originates when we buy habitually and compounds when we waste apathetically. We live in a throw away society that values the quick and easy over the reusable. We desire the next great invention propagating planned obsolescence instead of sustainable products. These are serious issues that are only becoming more important as the world becomes more connected and our population soars. As an artist, it is my responsibility to bring this paradoxical dilemma of consuming and wasting to the public eye through art.
