A tribute to William Scott by Gary Bunt
Painted in 2021 as a part of a series of twelve tribute paintings to Modern British artists.
William Scott is an artist famed for his pared-back minimalist approach and his paintings, drawings and prints are amongst the most stylish artworks created over the course of the past century. From early beginnings and explorations of the themes of landscape and portraiture, he soon came to focus almost solely on the subject of still-life, and it is from the many works the artist created during his long career that Bunt draws from in the present composition, carefully weaving together a narrative spanning more than half a century. Dominating the interior we are met with his impressive Deep Blues (1970-71) which showcases his striking ability to reduce the theme of still-life back to the bare essentials. It is no wonder that this skill was met with wide international acclaim in the 1950s, when together with fellow British artists Patrick Heron and Peter Lanyon, Scott led the way in contemporary British painting. In Bunt’s bustling interior we see many of the pots, plates, jugs and mugs that Scott drew inspiration from when composing a painting, distilling the forms to create bold pared-back blocks of colour. So too are we greeted with his favourite sitters – be they the lemons, pears, eggs or fishes that filled the plates and dishes of his work.
Along the back of the dresser we see Scott’s earlier works – explorations into abstraction or the earlier still portrait of his beloved wife Mary dating from the mid-1930s. Through the window we are greeted with the hazy blue view borrowed from Sunday Morning, Wales (1945), before the artist began to focus solely on the theme of abstraction. Bunt’s interest in Scott’s work shows his broad understanding of the many different facets of Modern British art. It is in many ways this breadth and versatility that makes it such an interesting and appealing field. It does not stand still, but rather shifts and changes, and during an artist’s life their style can alter so dramatically. Great artists – such as Scott – will always explore new styles, themes and territories in their work (just as Bunt has done with this collection of paintings), and to observe the evolution of the art is to be taken on a journey with them.
Robin Cawdron-Stewart
Oil on canvas
48 x 60 inches (unframed dimensions)
£45,000 plus ARR
1.Deep Blues, 1970-1.
2. Sunday Morning, Wales, 1945.
3. The Blue Aga, Gary Bunt.
4. Portrait of Mary, c.1937. William’s wife, Mary Scott.
5. Untitled reclining nude sketch, 1956.
6. Ochre and Orange Red, 1963.
7. Jug of Flowers, 1938.
8. Inspired by Mackerel on a Plate, 1951-2.
9. Inspired by Still Life With Pears, 1957.
Other object inspiration such as jugs and lemons from various William Scott paintings.
