Richard Scott - Naīve Meets Pop

Opening Reception 18th June 2007 from 6pm onwards

poets are always asking, where do the little roses go, underneath the snow
but no one ever thinks to say, where do the little insects stay
this is because, as a general rule, roses are more handsome than insects
beauty has the best of it in this world
from "unjust" by Don Marquis, author of Archy & Mehitabel

Beast: the thing with twitching feelers that scuttles away from the light when you step into the kitchen after last night's party.
Beauty: the flutter of gossamer wings that quickens your pulse as it alights on a petal in Springtime.

Beast: the drooling mass of matted fur that skulks towards the carrion under moonlight.
Beauty: the sleek, swift ripple of sinew and muscle that cuts through the savannah like wildfire.

Gus Silber

Worldart is pleased to announce an exhibition of new works by Richard Scott.

With the Beauty and the Beast series, Richard stumbled across a theme that, like most of his work, was inspired by an interaction with his son Richie.

Beauty and the Beasts started in 2005 when my son, Richie, who was three at the time, was playing Microsoft 3D Pinball on my computer. He said the pinball machine looked like a funny man. I did a screenshot and printed it. It took me a while to figure out, but there it was, amongst the flippers, LED's, flashing lights and bumpers. Sometime later I went about doing screenshots and flattening the image, 2 colours, export to jpeg, etc. The outcome was a very simplified funny man I called Pinball Wizzard.

As before, all the elements of simplicity are present. His style is distinctively recogniseable as that of Richard Scott's. The new characters have identities and will find their place in his iconography. The introduction of this body of work offers the collectors of his work something new yet distinctively familiar. The work venture into new territory that will appeal to a different market, "A more academic market", says Scott

The Five Musketeers of Richard Scott's restless, feverish imagination are a roguishly irresistible crew, as startled to see us as we are to see them, and not even the semi-naked sirens posing in their shadow can distract us from their cartoonish-coloured charms.

Yes, beauty has the best of it in this world, but step away from that world and into this one, and you will see that the Beast, in the end, will always happily ever after have Beauty.

Richard Scott was born in 1968 in England, and has lived all his life South Africa. Richard spent 4 years at school learning art. He did not think art was fun at all until his last year with Mr Fuel, who is first on the list of those responsible for me wanting to paint more. He matriculated in 1987 and spent 13 years dabbling in art with no further formal art training. Richard took up art fulltime in 2001. In 2005 Richard implemented his art Foundation to help other South African artist. His first project saw artist Gavin Rain catapulted into the South African art market, with Richard's acclaimed Wonderwoman series. In 2006, Richard released his Nursery Crime series which is very sort after by collectors worldwide. His vision to build seven self sustainable art hubs across the world has also started to take fruition. Richard's work is taken up in collections around the world.

For further information, please contact Worldart
54 Church street Cape Town, 95 Commissioner Street Johannesburg
082 901 5045
charl@worldart.co.za
www.worldart.co.za

Walk in the park
150 x 150cm
Impasto and acrylic on canvas