From Closet Artist to Creative Courage: A Conversation with Topher Straus
At Intersect Aspen Art & Design, sitting on one of his whimsical custom sofas, artist Topher Straus opens up about his 30-year journey from hiding his art in closets to creating joyful landscapes that radiate positivity.
Some artists are born ready to share their work with the world. Topher Straus is not one of them. Despite painting for three decades, it took him 20 years to find the courage to let anyone see his art - and when he finally did, it transformed everything.
"I was a closet artist," Straus admits, sitting on one of his vibrant monster sofas at Intersect Aspen. "For 20 years, I would take my paintings off the walls when people came over and hide them in my closet."
Like many artists who use their work as an emotional outlet, Straus's early paintings dealt with heavy subjects—gentrification, terrorism, political tensions. "I was painting things that I didn't know how to communicate except through the canvas," he explains. The vulnerability required to share such personal work felt too overwhelming.
The Turning Point
Seven years ago, a difficult life moment became the catalyst for change. It was his son who encouraged him to finally share his work with the world. "That was seven years ago," Straus reflects, "and for the last seven years, I've been creating these landscape paintings."
The shift from political commentary to landscape painting represents more than just a change in subject matter - it's a complete transformation in how Straus approaches his art. "In my work, I try to emit positivity and joy and creative spirit," he says. While his current work might seem apolitical on the surface, there's something quietly radical about choosing joy as an artistic statement.
Finding His Voice
The comparison to David Hockney comes up naturally when discussing Straus's landscapes, and he's genuinely moved by the connection. "Oh my god, I love you. Thank you," he responds when the parallel is drawn. "I see Hockney's work and knowing his process - he's amazing. So that's humbling."
But Straus has found his own unique path, one that extends beyond traditional canvas work into functional art pieces like the playful sofas that dot Intersect Aspen. These pieces represent a return to his childhood creativity: "This is what I used to do when I was little. I used to draw and everything."
The Joy of Creative Freedom
Today, Straus describes this period as "one of the happiest moments in my life." The artist who once hid his work now struggles with a different problem entirely: "I struggle with time because I just want to be creative all the time."
This transformation from secretive artist to creative entrepreneur represents something profound about the relationship between vulnerability and artistic growth. "It took me going through a really difficult moment in life," he acknowledges, but that difficulty opened the door to "the biggest, most amazing transformative gift to tap into my creative spirit and my inner childhood."
Art as Healing
Straus's story illustrates how creative expression can evolve from a private coping mechanism to a public source of joy—both for the artist and their audience. His journey from hiding paintings in closets to creating furniture that invites people to literally sit with his art represents a beautiful full circle.
"We all have things that we have to deal with," he notes, acknowledging that sharing creative work is "the most vulnerable thing I think we can do." But perhaps that's exactly why it's so powerful—and why Topher Straus, who goes by just his first name "like Prince" or "Madonna," might just be onto something transformative.
In a world that often feels heavy with political tension and difficulty, there's something revolutionary about an artist who chooses to focus on beauty, joy, and creative spirit. Sometimes the most radical thing you can do is invite people to sit down, get comfortable, and remember what it feels like to simply enjoy art.