Scott Upton’s abstract paintings are filled with color and texture. His distinctive compositions reflect strong geometric shapes with a subtle suggestion of a landscape. The canvases glow with multilayers of acrylic paint and concealed reflective textures using silver and gold leaf, all sealed under a varnish of his own devising.
“My work has always been about color and light; it’s effect on our emotions, how it inspires passion, offers peace, feeds the soul and calms the mind. When I begin a painting I have an idea of what I am going for and I work fast and strong. As it evolves, I pull back and let the direction of the painting determine the outcome. At times my work gets complicated; color on color in compositions using metal leaf, with texture flowing to tranquil passages of quiet washes. These are pushed back with opaque layers of paint that closes away everything else on the canvas. Scatter spots of color come through to remind you that more is going on than just on the surface, creating a calm moment to reflect on what has been hidden from view.” — Scott Upton
Upton received his BFA degree from the University of North Carolina and attended the Art Institute of Atlanta (GA). He has exhibited at the Asheville Art Museum (NC) and the Art Institute of Atlanta (GA). His work is in the collections of the Knoxville Art Museum (TN), Four Seasons Hotel (GA), Bank of America (GA), Chase Manhattan Collection (NY) and Chase Collection (IL). Scott currently works from his studio in Georgia.
