Meet Brent Fogt
Brent Fogt is a preacher’s son. Originally from Ohio, the family was living in San Antonio in 1983, when his father received an offer to relocate to Houston to lead the Holy Cross Lutheran Church. His parent’s decision to take a chance on an unfamiliar city have echoed in Brent’s own choices. “They’ve always stayed away from just doing the safe thing. I think they saw it as an adventure.”
Brent’s own appetite for adventure took him across the country, with long stays in Austin and Chicago. Three years were spent teaching in Mississippi.
Despite his early career success, with stints working for a Congressman and a Governor, Brent made an unconventional move at age 32 - he became an artist. Inspired by his parents willingness to take a chance, Brent enrolled in graduate school. Already possessing a BFA from the University of Texas, Brent would earn a MFA from the University of Michigan.
Once primarily a place to visit his parents over the holidays, Brent now lives in Houston. The draw was natural - Houston was home to his then girlfriend, his parents, a brother, a sister, and four nieces. Houston’s amazing art scene was also influential in Brent’s decision, and continues to inspire him today.
“What I love about the Houston art community is that it is wide open - kind of quirky and kind of funny. It doesn’t take itself too seriously.”
With a craftsman-style home in the East End, Brent strives to make a difference in his community. He was quick to add a lending library to his yard. He is wildly supportive of local business in his neighborhood. While Brent works as a communications professional for a church and a school, he is always seeking opportunities to help other Houston artists.
For his own art, Brent makes abstract collages and sculptures made from found items. Attracted to materials that have a history, his art can include anything from discarded furniture to vintage catalogs. While others may not see the beauty in an old Sears catalog, Brent views them as an interesting anthropological record of tastes (and prices) of a bygone era.
Don’t expect any sketches of Brent’s art as he prefers to jump into his work, letting pieces evolve throughout the process. “I love suspense…I want to NOT know what is going to happen, so I’ll be surprised at the end. I keep three or four pieces going at a time so there’s some randomness and some intuition.”
