Former faculty member’s work featured in new exhibition

An exhibition of art by former OCAD University faculty member John Scott opens Dec. 7 at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, celebrating the acclaimed artist’s unique voice in the history of art in Canada.

Guest curated by Dr. John O’Brian, John Scott: Firestorm gathers paintings, drawings and sculptures made by the late Canadian artist from the 1980s through the 2010s.

The works explore machine imagery conflict, violence and surveillance, themes that resonated with the artist who grew up on the Canadian/American border in Windsor, Ont. during the 1950s and 1960s.

It was during this time that Scott developed an acute awareness of American politics and militarism. He would later use depictions of stealth bombers, firearms and tanks to comment on human vulnerability and oppression and the threat of nuclear arms, violence and threat of tyranny – subjects expressed in his raw and urgent graphic style.

The McMichael is also hosting a public curatorial conversation between Dr. O’Brian and McMichael Executive Director Sarah Milroy on Dec. 8. The talk is free with gallery admission and registration.

About John Scott

Scott first joined OCAD U, then called Ontario College of Art (OCA), in the early 1970s as a student. He became a professor in the Faculty of Art, teaching in the Drawing and Painting program for more than 38 years and retired in 2019.

An avid supporter of OCAD U, Scott generously donated his work to University fundraisers that went towards scholarships and programs for students. He had a dynamic career as a painter, installation and mixed-media artist, examining the dark side of politics, war and human nature.

"John Scott's important body of work featuring military imagery explores the weaponization of technology and exposes its threat to humanity. He cast a critical and insightful eye on the major issues facing us today and this has proven to be his lasting legacy,” said Simone Jones, the graduate program director of OCAD U’s Digital Futures program. “As a much-admired professor in the Drawing and Painting Program at OCAD University, John's work continues to be relevant and is a reminder that art can contribute a powerful commentary on our times."

In 2000, he was awarded the inaugural Governor General’s Award in Visual Arts and Media and exhibited extensively across Canada for four decades.

Scott passed away in 2022.

Image courtesy of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection: John Scott (1950–2022), Firestorm, 1981, graphite and varsol, 248.9 x 250.2 cm, Macdonald Stewart Art Centre, Collection at the Art Gallery of Guelph, gift of Spring Hurlbut, 1992, MS1992.012. © Estate of John Scott.