John Scott was a legendary Canadian artist whose fervent, raw-edged paintings and drawings provided social commentary on capitalism, politics and war. Never didactic, at the core of many of his subjects was the human condition. His honest and witty approach had the ability to transcend time and appeal to a wide-ranging audience. Preferring materials that were expressive and immediate like black oil stick and charcoal, he brought raw and iconic characters to life including the bunny-human and dark commander.
Scott was also renowned for his machine-hybrid sculptures. Trans-Am Apocalypse, 1993, is a black-painted Pontiac Trans-Am with biblical scripture from the Book of Revelations hand-etched onto its surface. The work now lives in the National Gallery of Canada's permanent collection and a second version is in the collection of the Art Gallery of Ontario. John Scott: Firestorm, a major exhibition curated by John O'Brian that is dedicated to Scott's work on mechanical inventions of mankind, both military and civilian, will open at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection in late 2024.
Scott was born in Windsor and lived in Toronto, teaching at OCAD University for 38 years. In 2000, Scott was awarded the inaugural Governor General's Award in Visual Arts and Media. He exhibited extensively across Canada for four decades and his work is in the collections of many major institutions in Canada and the United States, including the Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto; the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; the Museum of Modern Art, New York, and the Grinnell College Museum of Art, Iowa. In 2014, Scott had his first major travelling survey exhibition in the United States at the Grinnell College Museum of Art.