Scott Dickson Explores Time and Connection in Art
Photo: Scott Dickson, visionary artist and educator, captured in a serene outdoor moment at sunset. Known for his profound blend of drawing, painting, and collage, Dickson’s work bridges the tangible and emotional, inviting introspection and connection with the intricate layers of human relationships and the natural world.
Layers of Experience Through Drawing, Painting, and Collage
Artist Scott Dickson discusses his hybrid art technique, the role of personal experiences, and the influence of teaching on his work.
Scott Dickson is a visionary image-maker whose art pulls us into a realm of profound connection, reflection, and intimacy. A masterful blend of drawing, painting, and collage, his work elegantly bridges the tangible and emotional, offering insights into the intricate layers of human relationships and the natural world. With a career that stretches from celebrated exhibitions in New York and Berlin to being prominently featured in the esteemed publication Age of Collage, Dickson’s voice in the contemporary art world is undeniably distinct and deeply resonant.
What makes Dickson’s work so compelling is its ability to awaken a universal ache to slow time, to savor fleeting moments, and to connect more deeply with the world around us. His dual roles as artist and educator feed into each other in ways that continually evolve his creative vision. He invites viewers into a shared space of introspection, where his layered, hybridized techniques become a metaphor for the complexity of human experience. In this exclusive interview, Dickson opens up about the forces that have shaped his artistic path—from life-altering personal milestones to his steadfast commitment to the authenticity of lived experience. Prepare to be inspired by his insightful reflections and the meaningful underpinnings of his breathtaking body of work.
Scott Dickson’s art captivates with its profound exploration of human connection and the beauty of fleeting moments in life.
Can you describe how your hybrid approach to drawing, painting, and collage helps you explore themes of connection to the natural world and personal relationships?
Drawing’s immediacy, painting’s layering, and collage’s contrasting forms each provide different character and visual variety or stand as metaphors in the content that I am exploring. For example, the relationship I have with each of my children is specific, individual and layered. I consider how I can present those relationships not just through imagery but in the formal creation of the work. While subtle, I believe these choices create a richer, more specific dialogue to a viewer.
“Drawing’s immediacy, painting’s layering, and collage’s contrasting forms each provide different character and visual variety.” – Scott Dickson
How do you choose the subjects or elements in your work that represent ideas of time and reality, and what do you hope viewers take away from these themes?
I wouldn’t say I necessarily choose the content in my work, rather it comes from my lived experiences. In the 2010’s I was spending a lot of my time outside; going on hikes, traveling, living in different geographic locations, those experiences directly shaped the content that I was exploring. Over the past ten years however, I, along with my partner, planted roots, bought a house, and started a family, experiences that now directly shape what I am currently exploring in my work. The concept of experience through time is something that ties these two lives, and in turn, my work together. The desire to slow down and relish a moment in time that is fleeting is what I want my viewers to take away from the work.
Having exhibited in cities like New York, Philadelphia, and Berlin, how have the art scenes in these diverse locations influenced your work or creative process?
Showing in these locations is due to the connections I’ve made with other artists and curators who have connected with an aspect of my work that resonates with a curatorial concept that they believe is of interest to their community. That is something I really value. Keeping an eye on the artworld outside of my local region has always been important to me and I’m sure it has influenced my work, but I’m not totally aware of it. Lately, with how busy my life has become, I might even say that I have been looking to quiet outside influences to devote the limited time I have to developing my specific language.
“Media is how we interface with art in the 21st century.” – Scott Dickson
Your work has been featured in publications such as *Age of Collage*. How do you feel about the role of print and online media in bringing collage and mixed-media art to a wider audience?
Media is how we interface with art in the 21st century. While there are even more institutions and opportunities to experience art in person than there were in the past, the immediacy of online content, and our rabid consumption of it, shapes our relationship to art. The numerous channels of content creation allow for a vast representation of all facets of art making, from contemporary drawing or collage focused curators to micro galleries and classical ateliers, there is a space for everyone.
How has your background in art education and teaching at Grand Valley State University influenced your own artistic practice?
I have found that so much of what I teach to my students is really me teaching myself, the lessons that I need to remember and work on in my own practice, my weaknesses. I believe the best teachers do not present themselves as infallible arbiters of knowledge or skillful masters but those who show their inadequacies and flaws in a way that shows an ability and desire to learn and have constant growth. When I get home from class and back in my studio, it’s the conversations that I’ve had with students that day that often direct the decision making in my work.
Are there any specific personal experiences or relationships that have had a lasting impact on the themes or direction of your art?
There are two, and both of them have been with my partner. In 2013, as a means of personal and relational growth, the two of us quit our jobs to pursue a thru-hike of the Appalachian Trail, a 2,000 plus mile hike along the American east coast, from Georgia to Maine. And in 2017, and 2019 we welcomed the birth of our daughter and son, respectively. Both experiences have fundamentally changed the way I think about this existence in the most profound ways, our connection to the world and people that surround us. It is no wonder that both have influenced the direction of my work for the past ten years.
EDITOR’S NOTE
“Twisted and Tangled” is an engaging and vibrant piece of abstract art brimming with energy and personality. Through fluid shapes, bold geometric forms, and a lively color palette including bright yellows, pinks, and blues, the artwork creates a dynamic composition. The central pink shape, with eyes and tooth-like patterns, introduces a whimsical character, while cascading yellow streaks mimic movement, adding life to the piece. Layered textures and rhythmic wave-like patterns in the background evoke a surreal atmosphere. This imaginative work masterfully blends abstraction with playful, expressive details.
