About the Artist
Scott Warren in Tengboche Nepal, April 2000
"I could paint for a hundred years, a thousand years without stopping and I would still feel as though I knew nothing." Paul Cezanne
For Scott Warren the process of painting has always been an enigma. It is almost as if he has to re-invent his approach with every blank canvas placed on the easel. But, for Scott, not knowing can be a good thing. It means that his paintings are less likely to replicate previous ones. It increases the possibilities of finding original solutions to a painting. And it means that his paintings more readily reveal elements of ambiguity.
Scott Warren was born in Delaware. At the age of 14 he moved to Santa Fe, New Mexico where he began prowling nearby Canyon Road. He lived in Logan, Utah for seven years while attending college and in 1982 he moved to Durango, Colorado. After 29 years of living on the south side of the San Juan Mountains, he now resides north of the range, near Telluride. In 2017 he bought 38 acres where he constructed the house in which he now lives and works.
Scott’s pursuit of artistic expression began at an early age with an interest in photography. In 1980 he graduated from Utah State University with a B.F.A. in photography and art history. Although he took a beginning painting class during his senior year, he went on to a career as a freelance photojournalist which lasted for more than 30 years. In that time he completed assignments for such clients as Smithsonian Magazine, National Geographic World, Time, The Nature Conservancy and the Getty Conservation Institute.
During his time as a photojournalist Scott often traveled worldwide; from Cuba and Peru to Siberia and Sweden, from India and Nepal to Iceland and Italy, and from Morocco and Tunisia to Cambodia and China. While abroad he was able to learn about the artistic pursuits of many cultures in many places. He also took the time to visit art museums in such cities as New York, Baltimore, Washington, DC, Paris, London, Moscow and St. Petersburg, Russia. During these visits he came to appreciate the works of such artists as Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Matisse. Scott’s exposure to these painters, as well as to others, not only piqued his interest in painting but also greatly influenced his approach to it.
Aside from the above-mentioned painting class in 1979, Scott did not pursue painting in earnest until after returning from a trip to Nepal in 2000. Armed with both photos from which to work and a strong appreciation for the location he began to explore his vision with paint and brushes in addition to a camera. Perhaps because of his travels, Scott has developed an abiding sense of place which helps define his painting to this day. The representational nature of his work, plus his interest in depicting landscapes, rural and urban scenes can all be traced to the wonder with which he views the world.
Of course, other aspects of painting have motivated Scott’s interest as well. The use of color and the ability to manipulate it has proved important. Lines, shapes and spaces can be reconfigured to create a visual acuity that is singular and profound. The way in which paint is spread across the canvas can present an integral aesthetic in and of itself. And even the tactile nature of this creative process, that is the opportunity it provides to make something by hand, is a source of certain satisfaction for Scott.
Tengboche Monastery, Nepal 2000
