WILLIAM SCOTT

Born 1964, San Francisco, California
Has practiced at Creative Growth since 1992

A self-taught artist, William Scott’s practice imagines alternative realities that stem from a fundamental belief in the potential for positive human transformation. While deeply rooted in personal history, Scott’s paintings address wider questions of citizenship, community, and cultural memory. His portrait series of predominantly Black figures encompasses actors, musicians, politicians, and civil rights leaders, as well as self-portraits, family members, and women from the Baptist church he has attended since childhood. Frequently describing himself as an architect, Scott reinvents the social topography of gentrified San Francisco, which emerges as the utopian ‘Praise Frisco’ in works that combine architectural design with civic responsibility. The proposals for new buildings, neighborhoods, and community centers describe his compelling desire for a more equitable society. While Scott’s paintings are hopeful and sincere, they equally confront loss and contemplate ideas of renewal and rebirth. His long-standing ‘Inner Limits’ series takes the form of spaceships that are designed to resurrect the dead to start new lives and bring peace to the earth via ‘Wholesome Encounters.’

Scott has had solo exhibitions at Malmö Konsthall, Sweden; Studio Voltaire, London; White Columns, New York; Ortuzar Projects, New York; and Palais de Tokyo, Paris. His work has been included in group exhibitions at the Hayward Gallery and the Museum of Everything, London; BAMPFA, Berkeley; White Columns, Gavin Brown’s enterprise, and Ricco Maresca, New York; and Gallery Paule Anglim, Minnesota Street Project, and Rena Bransten Gallery, San Francisco. His work is included in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art and The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York; LACMA, Los Angeles; Oakland Museum of California; and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art.

“William Scott is among the most important artists working today. His profoundly empathetic paintings should be in the permanent collections of every contemporary art museum.”
Matthew Higgs - Director/Chief Curator, White Columns

Un artista autodidacta, la práctica de William Scott imagina realidades alternas que se derivan de una creencia fundamental en el potencial de transformación humana positiva. Si bien están profundamente arraigadas en la historia personal, las pinturas de Scott abordan cuestiones más amplias de ciudadanía, comunidad y memoria cultural. Su serie de retratos de figuras predominantemente Negras abarca actores, músicos, políticos y líderes de derechos civiles, así como autorretratos, familiares y mujeres de la iglesia Bautista a la que ha asistido desde la infancia. Con frecuencia describiéndose a sí mismo como arquitecto, Scott reinventa la topografía social del aburguesado San Francisco, que emerge como el utópico "Alabado sea Frisco" en obras que combinan el diseño arquitectónico con la responsabilidad cívica. Las propuestas de nuevos edificios, vecindades y centros comunitarios describen su apremiante deseo de una sociedad más equitativa. Si bien las pinturas de Scott son esperanzadoras y sinceras, igualmente confrontan la pérdida y contemplan ideas de renovación y renacimiento. Su larga serie 'Límites Internos' toma la forma de naves espaciales que están diseñadas para resucitar a los muertos para comenzar nuevas vidas y traer paz a la tierra a través de 'Encuentros Sanos'.

Scott ha realizado exposiciones individuales en White Columns, Nueva York; Ortuzar Projects, Nueva York; y Palais de Tokyo, París. Su obra ha sido incluida en exposiciones colectivas en la Galería Hayward y el Museo de Todo de Londres; BAMPFA, Berkeley; White Columns, empresa de Gavin Brown, y Ricco Maresca, Nueva York; y Galería Paule Anglim, Proyecto Callejero Minnesota, y Galería Rena Bransten, San Francisco. Su obra está incluida en las colecciones permanentes del Museo de Arte Moderno y Museo El Estudio en Harlem, Nueva York; LACMA, Los Ángeles; Museo de Oakland de California; y el Museo de Arte Moderno de San Francisco. La próxima retrospectiva de Scott se inaugurará en el Estudio Voltaire en Londres en octubre de 2021 y viajará a Malmö Konsthall, Suecia en 2022.

“William Scott es uno de los artistas más importantes que trabajan en la actualidad. Sus pinturas profundamente empáticas deberían estar en las colecciones permanentes de todos los museos de arte contemporáneo”.

Matthew Higgs - Director/Curador Jefe, Columnas Blancas

Artist Statement:

The Skyline Friendly Organization (SFO) is a spectacular spaceship that tours the world. Its mission it to promote peace on earth and good wholesome behavior across the planet. Within the SFO are a group called the Wholesome Close Encounter (WCE) who leave the spaceship to teach the people of the world humorous good behavior. SFO people will be replacing the bad aliens and the evil in the world today. (WCE) people will bring back the lives of those who died from Covid 19 and gun violence. The new humans will become wholesome, humorous, peacemakers building a better world for the 21st century. No more scary people, monsters, horrors. Evil aliens will be canceled in the future and replaced as (WCE). SFO will become a new generation of science fictions humorous fantasies bringing a good and better world creating peace on earth. Within the SFO are three sexy ladies called Captain Planet Peace Makers (CPPM). These friendly giant humorous peacemaker women are the younger Diana Ross of the Classic 70s, Sheila Queenzilla and Cleopatrazilla of Halle Berry.

Cleopatrazilla of Halle Berry (CHB) is the younger sexy rock-hard body version of Halle Berry. These skyline leaders are giant Science Professor Peacemakers making the world a good and better place for all the people of the world. The SFO’s mission also is to do away with pollution, create clean air that is good for planet earth and promote heathy lives.

SFO has a ship called the Citizens Ship SFOs of Inner Limits. Its purpose is to travel the universe looking for wholesome humorous space people. No evil aliens, monsters or scary stuff will be allowed on the ship. SFO is searching the universe for wholesome skyline people of Inner Limits: Inner Limit people creates a good healthy peaceful environment with happy people, no sickness, no disabilities, and no handicaps. Older people are coming back as younger people of the seventies styles. New humans reborn as the new 20th century with peace on earth and only good things. The SFO is the magic spirit God that will raise up the dead who lost their lives’ due to hate crime killings, Covid 19 and heal the families of those who lost loved ones because of this bad behavior. Vivica A Fox is also a SFO leaders who works with the younger Rosie Perez and Martin Lawrence of Hollywood City. SFO people will become real wholesome creatures in the future.

William Scott will be reborn as Bill the Kid of basketball in the 1970s. November of 1972, San Francisco Hunters Point at 14 Harbor Road, he was wrongfully playing with burners on the stove and his shirt accidentally caught fire. This caused scaring on his upper torso. Williams knows he will be reborn in  another life with no burn scares.

In another life William will become the Afro Kid with the Los Angeles Lakers Practice Team in the summer of 1973 during a trip to Los Angeles to assess his professional health. In 1974 he will be on the Joseph Lee Gym Basketball Team playing basketball as Billy the Kid wearing his afro hairstyle. He will attend the basketball camp of 1974 making lots of friends. William Scott is Mr. Bill the basketball star in the 1980s. He will be going to Rose Olive Baptist Church in San Francisco on Bayshore Avenue to be with his friends.

PRESS

2022
Scaffold Podcast

2021
The Guardian
The Art Newspaper
Frieze
Harper’s Bazaar
The Evening Standard

2020
T Magazine
The New Yorker
Artnet News
HypeBeast

2019
San Francisco Chronicle
San Francisco Chronicle
SquareCylinder

2018
Art21
Pin-Up
San Francisco Chronicle

2017
Artsy

2016
Artslant
Artspace
Vice

2015
Disparate Minds
The New York Times
The New York Times

2013
iamOTHER
The Londonist

2012
The New York Times

2009
Paper Magazine

2007
The New York Times

SELECTED PROJECTS

2017
William Scott: Painting Utopia, artist book, published by Creative Growth

2016
Zoetrope: All-Story, Fall 2016 Issue, guest designed by Creative Growth