The newest paintings by Michael Scott explore entirely different visual content and subject matter for the artist, the female figure in religion. More specifically, Scott probes the complex parallel roles of women by focusing on the Virgin Mary. Through montages of photographic images of religious iconography and contemporary women, he challenges the viewer to consider Mary beyond her role as the mother of God and religious Saint and contemplate her – and all women – in broader and more expansive roles as partner, lover, cultural icon and political figure. The radiance we associate with such iconography is achieved by printing the photographic images on stainless steel followed by a complex process of burnishing and over-painting – an all a new support, medium and process for Scott.

Michael Scott was born in the Midwest. He studied at the Kansas City Art Institute and received his MFA from University of Cincinnati in Ohio. However, his fascination for the west led him to Santa Fe where he currently lives and works. In his earlier work, Scott created elaborate conceptual narratives of the western US and for which he had numerous solo exhibitions in New York, Santa Fe, San Francisco, Cincinnati, Kansas City and Corpus Christi among other cities. His work has been included in numerous group exhibitions and the subject of many critical reviews, catalogues and publications. Scott’s artwork is included in many private and corporate collections as well as the permanent collections of The Corpus Christi Museum of Art, Texas, Butler Institute of American Art, Youngstown OH, Cincinnati Art Museum, Ohio, New Orleans Museum of Art, Louisiana and the Autry National Center for Arts and Culture Los Angeles, CA among others.