A compressed version of my Form, Gesture, Anatomy course for drawing the figure from life in the classical manner. Brisbane, Australia
Read more about the course content and enrol here:
https://bienarte.com.au/course/Scott_Breton_Drawing_Workshop
ADC THREE Drawings - At QPAC, Brisbane May 26 -29, new paintings, news, tutorials and tips
Responses to Jack Lister’s “Still Life” Choreography
In the foyer of QPAC, at this production of Australasian Dance Collective, my drawings will be displayed (Queensland Performing Arts Complex, Brisbane, Australia)
Sketches from the development and rehearsal of Jack Lister’s choreography for the performance led to more worked out drawings in the studio.
“THREE” at QPAC, Brisbane 26 -29 May 2021 (Tickets still available at time of writing)
New Paintings
Click for details, info and sketches
Lucky 13
I was flattered to be included in this article of Sivilisasjonen (Civilization) a Norwegian publication. The author is Bork Nerdrum, film maker, who among other things made an excellent documentary about Odd Nerdrum, his father.
https://sivilisasjonen.no/english/53593/the-worlds-greatest-living-painters/
Note this link seems to be broken on desktop, try on mobile.
Cost effective solution for photographing drawings
If you’ve ever struggled with getting shots of your drawings where the page is illuminated evenly, you might like to try a pair of continuous light softboxes such as these from Volkwell. They are tunable to a cool, white or warm light and adjustable.
I got them here for $100AUD (about $70USD):
https://www.amazon.com.au/VOLKWELL-Professional-Photography-Continuous-2x20x28inch/dp/B089Q3L546?ref_=ast_sto_dp
Video Tutorials
While the quality of the videos still leaves a lot to be desired, there is still useful information in these video demonstrations of figure drawing that I posted with “Figuary” back in February this year.
These are essentially introductions to lessons 1, 5 and 6 from my Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course
Early bird discount for Brisbanites! And updates to Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course online book
Classical Life Class, Brisbane
For those of you located in Brisbane , Term 2 of my weekly life class starts in April,
Use the discount code LINE2021 at checkout for 7% off until the end of the weekend (ie the end of February)
For full details:
10x Thursday evenings at the Royal Queensland Art Society upstairs studio
Updates to the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Online Course
Video Intros/demos
I have added video intros and demos for the drills from lesson 1, 5 and 6. More will follow in the coming weeks.
Timed Slideshows
Timed slideshows for lessons 1, 2 and 5 embedded in the lesson itself in addition to the existing photo ref resources. The idea is that the poses and duration for the slideshows suit the content of the lesson/ drill well, so you can just load and practise away.
(just go to the table of contents -> lesson number -> life drawing)
Access for $7 USD per month
My tutorials in Figuary 2021 - Free online figure drawing festival
I was happy to be invited by www.lovelifedrawing.com (Instagram: @kenzoandmayko) to provide some tutorials and demos for this year’s “Figuary”, a figure drawing festival running Feb 2021.
Main page: https://www.lovelifedrawing.com/figuary2021/
Tutorials: https://www.lovelifedrawing.com/figuary2021tutorials/
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC-14eGj_hM&list=PLXkHosWORUv6KUyBjq6-1V5RMPNhJ6ds8&pbjreload=101
Kenzo has a real knack for making the tutorial videos fun and clear. Croquis Cafe (www.croquiscafe.org Instagram: @croquiscafe) provides the beautiful model reference videos for you to draw from. The excellent artist Andriy Vynogradov @vynillus also has provided demos this year.
And it’s all free! Join the community and get drawing.
Final day for the early bird discount on the Classical Life Class! Starts Jan 7 2021
The early bird 7% discount (Code: DRAW2021) will finish tomorrow 26th November!
This course is a great way to get your drawing off to a flying start in 2021 - don’t just repeat what you’ve always done but instead follow me in breaking down a series on aspects of figure drawing, and gain skills, knowledge, confidence and a series of drills that you can continue on your own to continue your development after the course finishes.
Is the concept of "Fine Art" still useful? Video of Panel Discussion at RQAS Brisbane
My statement (5 Minutes on IGTV):
Full Discussion on Youtube:
The origins of the concept of ‘fine art’ -- as opposed to commercial art, decorative art, illustrative art and so on – are historically uncertain. The phrase was certainly prominent in the 18th and 19th centuries though reportedly ‘fell out of fashion’ in the late 1800s, and in the early 20th century was accused of embodying an invalid ‘double standard’ separating art from useful objects. Yet we still have courses and departments of fine art around the world.
The questions before this panel then are:
-Has the concept of fine art so changed over time as to now be virtually meaningless?
-If there are good reasons to maintain the distinction between fine art and other kinds, what are these?
Early Bird Discount: Life Class with Scott - Term 1 2021 from 7th January
Early Bird Discount: enter “DRAW2021” to receive 7% off until the 25th November.
The first 8 week series of 2021 will begin on the 7th January and run until 25th February, with optional extension/catchup sessions on the 4th and 11th March.
For beginners to more advanced drawers looking to improve the fundamentals, this course will help you develop:
Volume / 3 Dimensionality
Anatomical understanding
Accuracy of observation
Classical flow and design
Following the figure drawing curriculum in my Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course, we will be working in the traditional way from professional nude life models.
At the end, you will have:
a solid, classical strategy for approaching the figure
This core strategy, based in the approach of the Italian Renaissance Old Masters will help you prioritise the big things over the small things, so that you gradually cultivate more beautiful drawings, being confident that you are not wasting time and practising an inefficient strategy or bad habits.
Apply this the core strategy to quick gesture studies…
…as well as more extended studies from life
Make your practise work for you - avoid wasting years of recreating the wheel.
And, you can always go back to the drills I teach using the online notes so that you can improve weak points or keep things fresh in the future.
I have seen people at untutored life drawing sessions make the same mistakes continually over years. These have held them back from achieving the type of convincing, beautiful drawings they desire. The drills and core strategy for drawing that I offer here are challenging but they can be a fun challenge! And they will get you drawing well in the fastest way I know how. I’m not holding any information back that could help you.
Examples of the types of drills we practise in the class:
14 different drills designed to refine the various aspects that go into classical drawing.
“There’s no shortcut but there are plenty of long-cuts!”
Each session is a mix of class demo and 1-on-1 instruction
…and each session is themed, following a carefully thought out sequence of classes to optimise your learning
So who is this course useful for?
As well as figure drawing being a wonderful practise in its own right, what I teach is particularly relevant for compositional design involving the figure. Or even without the figure, since the interdependency of structure, form and flowing connections is key in all types of traditional compositional design.
The course has two additional sessions at the end that you can choose to add on which allow for longer studies and developing rendering/shading (or allow you to catch up missed sessions at a reduced price).
You get three months complimentary access to the online notes of the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course as well. This includes literally hundreds of illustrations as well as 3D models and instruction from the anatomy component.
An example of one of my figurative paintings directly using the principles and skills taught in this class (“The Geometry of Escape” Oil on Panel 2020)
Speaking at panel discussion for Royal Queensland Art Society Biennale Closing event
I will be in a panel discussion on Sunday 27th September at 2pm on the topic:
“How has the concept of Fine Art changed in the last 200 years?”
The other speakers will be Dr Christine Dauber and Dr Christine Kirkegarde with Dr Kay Kane as facilitator.
Due to Covid, you will need to book in here to attend:
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/rqas-biennial-closing-event-tickets-118404417801
I will be presenting my ideas from the pragmatic perspective of a working artist, discussing how I think of Art in general and Fine Art in particular by comparison, and how this is useful to us as artists to keep ourselves on a fruitful path.
Next series of Brisbane Classical Life Class starts 8th October!
For beginners to more advanced drawers looking to improve the fundamentals, this course will help you develop:
Volume / 3 Dimensionality
Anatomical understanding
Accuracy of observation
Classical flow and design
Following the figure drawing curriculum in my Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course, we will be working in the traditional way from professional nude life models.
At the end, you will have:
a solid, classical strategy for approaching the figure
This core strategy, based in the approach of the Italian Renaissance Old Masters will help you prioritise the big things over the small things, so that you gradually cultivate more beautiful drawings, being confident that you are not wasting time and practising an inefficient strategy or bad habits.
Apply this the core strategy to quick gesture studies…
…as well as more extended studies from life
Make your practise work for you - avoid wasting years of recreating the wheel.
And, you can always go back to the drills I teach using the online notes so that you can improve weak points or keep things fresh in the future.
I have seen people at untutored life drawing sessions make the same mistakes continually over years. These have held them back from achieving the type of convincing, beautiful drawings they desire. The drills and core strategy for drawing that I offer here are challenging but they can be a fun challenge! And they will get you drawing well in the fastest way I know how. I’m not holding any information back that could help you.
Examples of the types of drills we practise in the class.
This series of 8 sessions covers:
14 different drills designed to refine the various aspects that go into classical drawing.
“There’s no shortcut but there plenty of long-cuts!”
Each session is a mix of class demo and 1-on-1 instruction
…and each session is themed, following a carefully thought out sequence of classes to optimise your learning
So who is this course useful for?
An example of one of my figurative paintings directly using the principles and skills taught in this class (“Broken Gate” Oil on canvas 2020)
As well as figure drawing being a wonderful practise in its own right, what I teach is particularly relevant for compositional design involving the figure. Or even without the figure, since the interdependency of structure, form and flowing connections is key in all types of traditional compositional design.
The course has two additional sessions at the end that you can choose to add on which allow for longer studies and developing rendering/shading (or allow you to catch up missed sessions at a reduced price).
You get three months complimentary access to the online notes of the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course as well. This includes literally hundreds of illustrations as well as 3D models and instruction from the anatomy component.
A sketch for “Broken Gate” showing how drawing directly contributed to the compositional design, balancing flow and structure
Learn more about the course content in the main page for the course.
Find out about logistics here
What my students have said:
My new show at Lethbridge Gallery, Brisbane
“The Shape of the Sky”
This show runs 4th to 22nd September at Lethbridge Gallery, Paddington, Brisbane.
I will be available to chat to on Saturday 5th September from 10-2pm and at the same times on the 12th September.
Click to see the page for this collection and further details.
Two main themes characterise this collection: one is the use of geometric planes and other simple forms to articulate the space around and interact with both figures and landscapes, an abstraction of the Renaissance preoccupation with the perspectival setting. The other theme is the specific effort to pursue imagery, mood or poses without having an intentional meaning before beginning the work, and instead follow elements that seem to be tapping into my unconscious in some way. I have attempted to listen to the impulses coming from the images and allow them to become what they will, trusting the sense of fascination or intrigue as a guide to the generation of an image that will resonate with others. How and where a line touches the skin, or what a pose without clear narrative content says, or how natural form pushes against an artificially geometric form seems to contain psychic content that perhaps cannot be concretised in other ways.
New series of life drawing sessions begins next week - sale this weekend!
Next Thursday (16th July 2020) will be the first session in the new series of 8 sequential classes, following directly the life drawing content in the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course online book.
If you wish to book the 8 sessions, this is on sale this weekend 10th, 11th and 12th July
https://www.scottbreton.com.au/class-enrolment-1
The sale is for the complete series, but you can still pick and choose specific sessions to book in for based on content if you wish.
The calendar is here
https://www.scottbreton.com.au/brisbane-landing
…which includes links to the relevant pages in the notes (for those with access to the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course that you can purchase here)
Want an original drawing before the prices go up?
Now is a great time to purchase one of my original drawings if you would like one, as prices will increase with the new financial year! (start of July) Shipping everywhere (not including Mars at this stage)
Or if you prefer a high quality print of a drawing composition, signed or unsigned, go here:
This week at the Life Class with Scott: Gesture
This week we will be taking a deep dive into Gesture at the life class I teach at the Royal Queensland Art Society upstairs studio, Petrie Terrace Brisbane. I still have 3 places available, bookings at: https://www.scottbreton.com.au/class-enrolment/lifeclass-2zrks
Here is an excerpt from the section on Gesture in my online book “Form, Gesture, Anatomy”
“Gesture could be defined as a general movement, intention or alignment of elements. It is the implied pattern of energy that connects things throughout nature, from clouds to trees to water…
Gesture is particularly applicable to animals since we constantly organise and reorganise our parts according to the intention of our actions and emotions. So, in this case, there are not only the physical forces of gravity and interacting objects, there is also the force of our will, to perform certain actions, or relax out of them.
Emphasising active, less balanced relationships tends to add dynamism and drama (see Rubens, Michelangelo, Gericault), and at an extreme becomes the caricature of action seen in animated cartoons. On the other hand, emphasising the opposite, ie stability and balance will magnify these qualities, as seen in the regal dignity of some ancient Egyptian sculptures and hieroglyphs. Yet even in more stable poses, a certain amount of animation is inherent in natural form, particularly living things, and without it they can look quite odd. Gesture exists in the whole figure and in the parts of the figure, eg a leg, foot or even toe.
study of Bernini’s Apollo and Daphne
In the images below we see a beautiful hieroglyph from the Temple of Hatshepsut, with its frontal, non-foreshortened viewpoint, has a grid-like rhythm that unifies the complexity into a stable, dignified gesture. This is contrasted to the painting by Rubens, in which he took the writhing vital energy of his figures to an extreme in this depiction of the Massacre of the Innocents. He uses anatomical biodynamics, spatial movement, as well as dramatic abstract sweeps to express the tortured drama of the scene.
Capturing gesture, to me, is the ultimate goal of free hand drawing. The other qualities of accuracy, form, anatomy, and design relationships should be unified by the central melody of the intuitively felt gesture, a vision of the overall story arc of the piece. Developing sensitivity and facility in this field is the goal of the activities contained in this lesson.
If you’re in Brisbane and would like to attend, book in here:
https://www.scottbreton.com.au/class-enrolment/lifeclass-2zrks
Life Drawing Class with Scott Returns! - at RQAS Brisbane, Australia
Life class resumes at Royal Queensland Art Society upstairs studio, suitable for beginners to more experienced since the focus is on applying core principles at progressively higher levels.
For details of what is covered see this earlier post
One on one instruction and group demos each class.
Includes 2 months access to my online book “Form, Gesture, Anatomy” on which the class content in based.
Class runs 7:10pm to 9:40pm
(this timing allows you to access parking on Petrie Terrace immediately after the clearway ends at 7:00pm)
Upstairs workshop space, Royal Queensland Art Society
The door will be unlocked prior to class start or you can buzz or call me on the number pinned to the door.
Regular price for 1 class : $70 Australian Dollars, for 4 classes: $240 AUD
Full Time Student for 1 class: $40 AUD, for 4 classes: $120 AUD
To access student discount, proof of enrolment in a tertiary institution will be required at the first session attended.
Process and Concept: Collaboration with Australasian Dance Collective -Interview and drawings -
Prior to the Covid19 situation, I was very privileged to start collaborating with choreographer Jack Lister and artistic director Amy Hollingsworth in doing some sketches from life from rehearsal/ development sessions. These I worked on away in the studio to make compositions with a bit more presence than the very rapid sketches from life, showing some of each in the album below.
The idea is for them to be presented in the foyer when Jack’s work “Still Life” is presented.
Read the interview: https://australasiandancecollective.com/scott-breton/
I use a combination of 3D software and physical plaster and 3D printed models to figure out how shadows would project and to develop the concepts. This is very much the spirit of the Italian High Renaissance masters, in which working from imagination was then informed by wax or plaster models, or the human model, a synthesis forming that is not strictly observational and certainly not photorealistic. The aim is more to abstract/stylise, and emphasise and create hierarchy in the qualities that the eye responds to, including: light, character, space, anatomical plausibility.
Graphite and white coloured pencil on hand-toned paper 42 x 59 cm
This wax model by Tintoretto reveals how he used models to arrange compositions and visualise light and shadow, presumably without employing a group of human models as Caravaggio did. I like the idea of the flexibility of this process from the point of view of the artist, allowing a lot of plasticity and imagination.
These drawings show the sketches from life and the more substantial drawing that came from them. At the end more sketches that I liked for their poses and movement but have not worked on yet.
If you like what I am doing here, you might like to access my Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course which goes through each of the topics that I think contribute to what I am doing here, and gives exercises to focus in on each of them.
Reference Photos now added to the FGA course
I have recently added dozens of poses to the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course available to anyone who subscribes or has purchased permanent access outright.
They have been shot with the intention of being a useful addition to the drills included in the course, as the descriptions indicate.
Use the reference images for your own practise or to complete the drills included in the course.
For those who already have access, go to:
www.scottbreton.com.au/reference-images
If you don’t already have access to the FGA course, you can choose one of the access options here:
More sets will be coming soon as I process more photos and refine the sets they are placed in, so that they are most useful for your practice.
For instant access go to:
Skeleton 3D printed model now available!
I am happy to now be able to offer you access to the industrially 3D Printed skeleton kit that goes with the Simplified Anatomy component of the course, allowing you to go through the full process.
I think the simplified approach taught here is more or less in the sweet spot of anatomy study for the artist.
Here's why:
1. Follow embedded 3D models: Unlike the flat pages of a regular book, here you sculpt the forms in coloured clay based on step-by-step 3D models that you can rotate on your screen (rather than wading through books looking for the right angle to understand what the form of a muscle is)
2. Strategic Simplification: These forms are simplified where appropriate - for instance, in the observed human body, the forearm flexors are usually seen as one general mass, rather than the multiple small muscles that compose this group - and the shape of this group as it interlocks and flows with other forms of the arm is what we are interested in as artists
3. Touch is a powerful learning tool: Involve your hands and spatial sense as you model them onto the 3D printed skeleton - this is the most fun and intuitive way to grasp the way the forms relate to one another
4. Colour Coding: My simplified colour coded system keeps each muscle or muscle group separated mentally, and gives you a way to colour code your study of any reference you choose to - in the course I suggest colour coding life drawings, tracings of photoreference or figures from imagination - consistent colours help you to stay in control of the masses.
5. Covers key poses/actions: Characteristic patterns emerge with certain actions - the pose of this 3D printed skeleton allows you to see:
-A twisting, tilted torso in contrapposto (weight on one leg)
-A bent versus straight knee
-A bent versus straight ankle
-A bent versus straight elbow
-A forward thrust shoulder versus a more retracted and lifted shoulder
- A pronated forearm (palm down) versus a supinated (palm up) forearm
6. The Simplified Anatomy component is related to and integrated with the practise of figure drawing.
I wish it was around when I started trying to figure this stuff out!
It is an approach that balances simplification (so that you are not overwhelmed) with robustly deepening your knowledge of the form, or 3D shape, of the visible elements of the human body. Detailed écorché (flayed figure) courses are great if you can find one and and can afford it, but in the end we need to simplify when thinking about the human body observed from life . Also, if you are thinking about doing a complete écorché, getting an overview through my colour coded system will help you to orient yourself as you go into full detail.
In the full kit you receive the 36cm skeleton model, all the required coloured clay and a simple sculpture tool
It has been a challenge to get it produced on industrial 3D printing machines at a cost affordable to you, the end user studying anatomy, but I am very happy with the strength and accuracy of the result (and have tested it myself going through the entire process and filming it - this will be embedded in the course notes soon.)
You can order with or without the coloured clay (it is about a kilo of clay so there is the shipping cost to take into account - therefore you might like to source it locally if you are located outside Australia and have an art supply that stocks this.
This tool can save you a lot of time and hassle (and money!) as you study artistic anatomy, which can otherwise be extremely challenging. Simply by getting the kit and following the process in the course, the insights and connections will come naturally.
Testimonials:
Wayne, Brisbane
Vicky, Brisbane
Martin, Brisbane
New Video on Colour-coded Block in Drill
Colour-coded Block in Drill
(from Lesson 1 of the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course online book)
Below is the first in a series of videos I am currently producing demonstrating and explaining drills to train the key aspects of figure drawing.
This is so that they begin to flow naturally and we can focus on higher level sensibilities.
Extracted from Lesson 1 of the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course online book :
While two dimensional accuracy is certainly not the only, nor the ultimate aim of drawing, it is integral to developing visual sensitivity, discipline and focus. Emphasis and exaggeration are more successful by those who are intentionally and purposefully deviating from what they are literally seeing rather than it happening accidentally.
We begin with a basic tool box of comparative drawing techniques (as opposed to sight size) for developing an accurate drawing, and more importantly an accurate eye, followed by approaches to drawing the figure that utilise this toolbox and develop this way of seeing.
Once again : ACCURACY IS NOT THE POINT OF DRAWING but is important to develop and work to maintain if you wish to draw freely.
OR if you already have an account, see the video in the context of lesson 1
For students who are quite experienced and have already developed a fairly accurate eye, I encourage you to take these activities seriously nonetheless. Your extra skill, as well as having the experience of how costly unintentional inaccuracy (ie. sloppiness) can be, can make these activities even more powerful - a chance to focus on this aspect of drawing. Because you have habits of the way you draw, by having a very specific process to follow, you can reset your habitual way of drawing to some extent.
This activity I find surprisingly helpful though it is simple on the surface.
Note that the purpose is to see and notate relationships between parts of the figure, not to merely replicate it. Make your drawing "about" these abstract relationships.
Life Class (Figure drawing from model) - Thursday evenings in March in Brisbane - at the Royal Queensland Art Society
I am excited to be starting a regular life drawing class again - this time in the beautiful upstairs studio at the Royal Queensland Art Society! Inner city Brisbane on Petrie Terrace.
Come and have a glass of wine, forget the outside world, and meditate on the magic of drawing the living human body in a supportive and enjoyable environment. I will guide you through a series of activities designed to familiarise you with or improve your mastery of the core elements of drawing the figure, there will be both group and one on one instruction/ demos.
The content will be drawing from the model working through the Elements of Classical Figure Drawing from the Form, Gesture, Anatomy course.
We will cover the following five areas - both separately and then reintegrating them together.
1. Blocking in and accuracy - key landmarks, orienting masses in space in relation to each other, analysing form and gesture in essentials, in particular the torso
2. Thinking in Volumes - seeing/feeling and drawing the body as large masses, and constructing/ depicting subforms using only line.
3. Design principles in the human body (and nature generally) - S curves, C curves, and straight lines, line weight, harmony and variation, counterbalance, extending lines as far as possible, looking for a major line of design and related lines
4. Gesture and exaggeration - finding swing and rhythm to the line, taking the observed pose and exaggerating this slightly, telling a story with the body - making it move
5. Rendering - principles of rendering form in light and shade, types of rendering, points about rendering in different media, options for direction of linear rendering,
Enrolled students will be given a membership with one month of access to the Form, Gesture, Anatomy Course online book (can be extended if desired by choosing one of the payment options). You may prepare for the class by following the activities in the notes, (particularly from the Fundamentals of Form sections). How to do this will be sent to you upon enrolment.
I recommend parking on the right hand side of Petrie Terrace across from RQAS (it is a one-way street) because there is 4 hour free parking after 7pm. Note it is a clearway until 7 pm.
5th, 12th, 19th, 26th March 2020
7:10 to 9:40 pm
(this timing allows you to access parking on Petrie Terrace immediately after the clearway ends at 7:00pm - please arrive at 7pm)
Upstairs workshop space, Royal Queensland Art Society
The door will be unlocked prior to class start or you can buzz or call me on the number pinned to the door.
Regular price for 1 class : $70 Australian Dollars, for 4 classes: $240 AUD
Full Time Student for 1 class: $40 AUD, for 4 classes: $120 AUD
To access student discount, proof of enrolment in a tertiary institution will be required at the first session attended.
Art Vs Kitsch: my take on it
You might have seen on social media the #kitschified campaign recently. This is something that originated with Norwegian painter Odd Nerdrum, and he is one of the painters that I admire most - of this or any other time. So I have some sympathy for this movement, which you can read about at https://kitschified.info/ if you’re not already familiar. However, I don’t agree with all the conclusions here, so I thought I would articulate how I think about this topic.
While I remain uncertain whether the term "Fine Art" ought to be abandoned (it can, at the very least, continue as a useful label to subsume plastic disciplines), I do know that the delineation of Art Vs Kitsch has helped me to navigate my way in my own practise, or more precisely helped me to not lose my way in certain respects. I see the reclamation of the term Kitsch as a defence against many errors that I have made, and probably would have continued to make, due to the pressures from the mainstream art world. Like racial and sexual preference slurs embraced by the victims, it makes a point of pride out of that which has been previously demeaned. When Kitsch is understood as the inclination towards the Classical, an impulse besieged through most of the 20th century, it says: "Yes, I am sincere, even if it makes me vulnerable to the attacks of irony. Yes, I want to make something that will bring deep enjoyment and inspiration to an intelligent layperson, not only please a cultural elite. Yes, I care about human beings and I have empathy for our foibles, admiration for our strength to endure, and capacity to grow psychologically, not only criticism for our corruption. Yes, the yearnings of the soul matter, just as the needs and wants of the body here on earth can be good and wonderful - the subjective human experience matters. Yes, I am going to be dramatic, even at the risk of being melodramatic - because underneath the ordinariness of day to day life, to be born a human, to live and learn and struggle and love and die is, in the end, pretty damn dramatic - and I'd rather err on that side than be too cautious and not do it justice."
Let us suppose that one shares, roughly, the sentiment above, ambition might well dictate the desire to be seen in contemporary museums and high profile cultural events, such as the Venice Biennale. Yet the values held in these places are often very much at odds with the original impulse described above. It is easy to get caught up in trying to fit in and the desire to be legitimised by the art world, and thus to become confused and drift away from the original calling. I know that I have, and I have seen this effect in others. I have been to museums all around the world and I know the type of experience to expect in the contemporary museum: a kind of Disneyland for educated adults - a little bit of short lived "huh, clever", a dash of irony, a little bit of cheap shock, something intentionally poorly executed, or perhaps executed by a talented sub-contracting craftsperson at the direction of the Artist, and a nod to certain fashionable political views. Perhaps even some knowing winks to market manipulation. The genius present in the works of a contemporary museum is often in the way that these things can be massaged together to fit in with the requisite vibe, not in the works themselves - a culturally self-referential involution. I expect to be entertained for a short while, to not particularly want to return, and to probably leave a bit deflated and bored. Not all contemporary art is like this, and there is some very well crafted and stimulating work made. But the specific absence of things that could be truly compared in ambition to a Michelangelo, and the shrill need for newness at any cost is hardly going to be beneficial for those of us whose original impulse is to measure our progress by the standard of the Old Masters.
So I think of it this way: Kitsch as a reclaimed title points to the legitimacy of the the impulse towards the Classical: the work of the plastic imagination in articulating and exploring the human condition. No punches pulled, no concern of being too similar to the giants whose shoulders we stand on - I will use anything I can find to create the depth I am looking for. Kitsch is not so much a label I place on myself, as a subversive north star (fits in your pocket when to go to the museum), and a reminder of a slippery dynamic be forgotten at your peril.
Scott Breton, 2020 “The Same Ocean” Oil on Linen, 146 x 112 cm (Diptych)