Gregory Scott has always blurred the lines between painting and photography, incorporating paintings he made of himself, or his body, back into his photographs. The resulting images were both humorous and odd, challenging the viewer’s perception of photographic truth. Then, at the age of 49, Scott decided to go to graduate school to strengthen his knowledge of art history and study video editing. In 2008, upon graduation, Gregory Scott stunned the art world with his mixed-media video works that combined installation, photography, performance, video and painting. As more and more artists blur the lines between medias, Scott has taken the idea to a whole new level, presenting video-based wall pieces that are humorous and poignant, contemplative yet accessible.

Gregory Scott builds sets in his studio that serve as his subject. In these sets, he records himself performing a variety of scenarios that are then edited into 5-12 minute videos. The sets are then photographed, and the resulting wall piece is a mounted photograph with a piece removed for a monitor, on which a video plays. A painted element also appears on the photographic surface. In each video, he shows how he constructed the set that he photographed, breaking down the barrier between maker and viewer. All of the hardware is attached to the inside of the frame, making his works self-contained.

Continuing to use himself as the model, Scott creates narrative pieces that reference specific artists (Mark Rothko, James Turrell, Cy Twombly, Frank Stella, Vincent Van Gogh, René Magritte) that have had an impact on his life. Using illusion and surprise, he challenges the definitions placed on photography, painting and video, expanding its discourse and creating a dialogue with the viewer.

Gregory Scott was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan in 1957 and received his Bachelor degree from the Institute of Design at IIT in Chicago in 1979 and his Master of Fine Art from Indiana University in 2008. He lives in Cleveland, OH.