Here’s a piece from the Orange Regional Gallery show that I drove out to last year (and reported on in American & European Outsiders at ORG) by Scottie Wilson.
The photo’s a little wonky (taken through a glass case – the plate was on an angle) but I’m happy to have it anyway. Scottie Wilson is an interesting outsider, and there’s a nice article on him on this Tate Britain page.
Specifically, there’s a photo of a letter describing the commission he had to design the series of painted Royal Worcester tableware. I’d assumed this piece is a part of that commission until I read as follows:
In the early 1960s Royal Worcester commissioned Scottie Wilson to design a tableware pattern. It was produced in two different colours, black printed onto terracotta and grey and black printed onto white glazed earthenware. A whole range of dinner, tea and coffee ware was produced at the Palissy Pottery in Stoke on Trent which was then owned by Royal Worcester. The Scottie Wilson pattern was based on the totem poles of the North American Indians which the artist had studied during his many visits to Canada.
Ok, so we have maybe the totem pole, but the colours are not this series. I’d be interested if anyone knows more about this piece and the background to his painting it.
Also, those swans I find intriguing. I know of their importance in American Indian creation myths, and they certainly are wonderful animals. Does anyone know more of Scottie’s interest in swans and other water birds?
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Ron,
I was googling Scottie Wilson and stumbled across your gorgeous and fascinating web site – a real 360 degrees view of who you are and what your interests are – just in fact the kind of site that I need! If you could advise me of which programe / software has been used I’d be most grateful
Anyway, I am working on an exhibition focussing on ‘outsider’ artists called OUTSIDE IN at a gallery in the UK called Pallant House Gallery – by coincidence as well as this they are mounting an exhibition of Scottie’s works on paper within the gallery at some point this Summer. I thought you might want to have a look – http://www.pallant.org.uk.
A fascinating chimeric like chameleon is Scottie! I am reading a book about Scottie at the moment and in relation to the water birds he is said to have had the image of a fountain from his youth etched into his memory, and this image of water may go some way to explaining his fascination with water birds – he may have seen birds drinking from this source. Another lovely quote (he loathed academics!) and once when he was being asked about his work he whispered in the interviewers ear “I get a Chinaman to do it all you know.” Tee hee – I love it! Maybe this ‘chinaman’ did this lovely plate that you own, and which to my reckoning is very rare.
If you wish to get in touch – olivia@antlerartprojects.co.uk
Very best wishes,
Olivia
Thanks Olivia for your kind words. I’ll check out your site and am interested in seeing more work by Scottie. I have to say I didn’t (couldn’t) buy the plate – it wasn’t for sale – but I was happy enough to get a good photo of it (without flash, in quite a dark gallery). The piece is a part of Colin Rhodes collection (he wrote the book “Outsider Art – Spontaneous Alternatives”).
The software I use is WordPress. It comes in two configurations – you can either host a WordPress blog for free at wordpress.org (you get a URL there); or you can host it yourself at your own ISP – many of which have WordPress. (The second option means you use your own URL). I chose this second option and am very happy with it. I have had a Blogger blog in the past but I find that WordPress has the aesthetics and fine control that I struggled to achieve in Blogger.
I got a nice email from Beverly Kaye on this:
I didn’t know Scottie did any pottery (this is stunning!) and wonder if this could be an “end of day” piece where the artist is allowed anything they fancy? My favorite story about Scottie is that when he unexpectedly showed up at a gallery opening, his dealer was confronted the next day. “How can your artist be an outsider if he cares to attend gallery openings?” he was asked. The reply was, “Oh, he’s not here for the art, he’s here for the whiskey!”