Lorenzo Scott facts for kids
Lorenzo Scott (born in 1934 in West Point, Georgia) is a talented American artist. His artwork became well-known in the late 1980s. He is famous for his unique style, which often includes religious themes and beautiful, handmade frames.
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Early Life of Lorenzo Scott
Lorenzo Scott was born on July 23, 1934, in West Point, Georgia. This was a busy town with many factories and train lines. His mother worked in the cotton fields that supplied the local factories. When she lost her job during the Great Depression, his family moved to Atlanta to find work.
Lorenzo was one of eleven children. He remembers seeing his mother sketch for the first time. Even as a young boy, he knew he wanted to draw like her. He went to public school until the tenth grade. However, he was always more interested in drawing than schoolwork. He once said, "I've been sketching all my life since I was about five. I got my study lookin' at the museum."
His family lived near a Southern Baptist church. They were very active members there. This is where young Lorenzo developed his strong Christian faith. This faith has guided his life and his art. He often shares stories about amazing things that happened because of his faith. For example, as a child, he watched funerals at the church. He asked his mother why people had to die. He thought if he stayed awake, he wouldn't die. One night, his mom let him stay up all night to try!
How Scott Became an Artist
As a young man, Scott worked as a house painter and in construction. He didn't make his first oil painting until he was 25 years old. It took another 20 years for him to be recognized as a serious artist. This happened after he visited New York in 1968. There, he discovered the amazing paintings of the old masters at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Scott loved the paintings by Renaissance Italian artists. He spent hours studying their methods and styles. He looked closely at images in books and museums. Then, he practiced with oil paints, learning how to balance colors and create good compositions. Karen Towers Klacsmann, an art expert, said that Scott taught himself. He didn't have a teacher like artists in the past. But with his talent and strong will, he learned from the paintings themselves.
Scott explained his journey: "In 1968, I went to New York. I seen them peoples painting on canvas on the street and I went to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I thought, that what I need to do ... paint. So I went back and started painting on canvas. It was hard. I keep cussing an' tryin'. When I got back to Atlanta, I'd go to museums downtown like the High Museum to look at the antique paintings, see how they did the oils. Then I'd go back an' study how they do the eyes an' the nose. I wore that place out!"
It was hard for Scott to find places to show his paintings. Then, one night, something special happened. He had a vision. He said, "I was comin' from a construction job. I got so tired an', on that Sunday night, a light came on my bed. Sure did! First it came an' it went away. I kinda race up outta the bed, then it came again an' got real bright around my bed, an' that's how in the beginning my paintings started sellin'. It was like the Lord was talkin' to me." After this, his paintings began to sell.
Scott's artwork was first shown in an exhibition called Revelations in 1986. This was at the Atlanta College of Art. His first solo show at a national museum was in 1993. It was at the Springfield Museum of Art in Ohio. Thanks to Bert Hunecke, Scott's art is now in many museum collections. In 2002, he received an award from the Folk Art Society of America. They called him a "Modern Renaissance Painter of Folk Art."
How Scott Became Well-Known
Two art collectors and a gallery owner in Atlanta helped Lorenzo Scott become famous. Scott used to rent a house on Dill Avenue in East Point. He called it his "Dill Avenue Gallery." He would hang his art on the walls for people to see and buy.
One collector, William "Bill" Arnett, visited the house. He bought many paintings and even a piece of painted furniture. These artworks became part of his Soul's Grown Deep project. This project aimed to show the world the art of "folk or outsider artists of the black American South."
Around the same time, Bert Hunecke learned about Scott. He visited the Dill Avenue house and was so impressed. He decided to buy all the art Scott had there! Hunecke was very important in getting Scott's paintings into famous museums. These included the Smithsonian and the High Museum of Art.
In the late 1980s, gallery owner Mark Karleson met Scott. Scott was selling his paintings on the streets of Atlanta. Karleson decided to show some of Scott's work in his Modern Primitive Gallery. Scott liked to sell his art directly for cash. Karleson would buy the paintings himself and then sell them in his gallery. A big sale was made to the House of Blues Art Collection.
Scott's Artistic Style
Scott's paintings often show religious and spiritual ideas. But he also paints everyday scenes. These include country landscapes, African American children, and sometimes social or political topics.
He creates both large and small paintings. He uses oil paints on canvas or wood. He developed his own painting process over many years of trying new things. For much of his life, he worked from his home. For a few years, he had a small studio in Decatur, Georgia. There, he made his own frames for his paintings.
His "fancy, gold-leaf, Renaissance style" frames are a key part of his art. Lynne Browne, an art writer, says they are essential. Scott once explained how he makes them: "The frames take a long time. I get some lumber from Home Depot, some Bondo [car body repair material], spray paint - Pittsburgh quick-dry gold enamel. I use this jigsaw to cut out all the shapes. I use sticks, old pencils, little screwdrivers and other things to make lines on the Bondo. The frame is a work of art." Browne also noticed how gently Scott treats his subjects. She said his careful layers of paint and amazing handmade frames remind her of the Italian Renaissance masters.
Kathy Moses, in her book Outsider Art of the South, explains that Scott doesn't just copy old masters. He creates something very unique. He studied the Italian Renaissance examples and practiced a lot. He taught himself how to use thin layers of oil paint. He also learned how to arrange shapes and balance colors. He uses thin layers of oil on canvas or wood. This helps him create the calm and serious look of 14th-century Italian portraits. He also paints Catholic themes, like scenes from Christ's life and the Madonna. His art is very beautiful and refined.
Lorenzo Scott has been called "a self-taught genius." His painting Lazarus was called "one of the museum's treasures." His art has been shown in over 40 American museums. It is part of the permanent collections at many famous places. These include the Smithsonian Institution's American Art Museum in Washington, D.C., the American Folk Art Museum in New York, and the High Museum of Art in Atlanta.
Exhibitions and Collections
Lorenzo Scott's art has been shown in many museums and public places.
Museum Exhibitions (Selected)
- 1986 Atlanta College of Art Gallery, Atlanta, GA
- 1993 Springfield Museum of Art, Springfield, IL
- 1999 High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
- 2000 Smithsonian American Art Museum (Traveling Exhibition, 2000 - 2003)
- 2002 High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
- 2002-3 American Folk Art Museum, New York, NY
- 2007 Morris Museum of Art, Augusta, GA
- 2009 High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA
- 2012 Heaven+Hell exhibition, Intuit, Chicago, IL
Museum Permanent Collections
- American Folk Art Museum, New York City
- High Museum of Art, Atlanta GA
- Morris Museum of Art, Augusta GA
- Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington DC
- Tubman African-American Museum, Macon, GA
Gallery Exhibitions (Selected)
- America Oh Yes!, Hilton Head, South Carolina
- Barbara Archer Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
- Folk Fest, Atlanta, Georgia
- Modern Primitive Gallery, Atlanta, Georgia
- Slotin Folk Art Auction, Buford, Georgia
