Scott Robertson

www.scott-robertson.org.uk

"Trying to be an artist that tries to produce artwork about failure or pointlessness often means I have to explain myself more than once. This is because my first explanation of what it is I do and what it is I make fails to convince people of my genuine intention. The genuine intention of making work that represents a lot of time or effort, and to say nothing other than that the amount of time or effort spent leaves us empty. Making work that says nothing actually says a lot more than first realised.

More recently it has started to occur to me that if I try to produce this work about failure, and often have to try to convince people that what they see or read is indeed my intention, then when asked to rework some part of this process (for example my first Statement submitted for a recent show as it was thought to reflect negatively upon myself) then in fact I am succeeding. My intention to represent failure works almost too well, as it constantly fails, therefore succeeds. But by succeeding does it then once again fail?

Humour also helps the failure to fail (therefore succeed), as it is often taken as not being serious. Humour and pointlessness go hand in hand for me. If my work were to produce any gags, it would be a joke made at what Gustave Flaubert described as the “ridiculousness that seems intrinsic to human life”. I do not mind any viewers laughing at the punchline, but they should try to find the joke.

I am now constant with the thought that if I fail I succeed, and if I succeed I fail.

I cannot win, but I cannot lose either."

 

Short listed for Griffin Art Prize 2013.

 

EDUCATION

MA Fine Art – Central St Martins, London, 2010

BA (Hons) in Drawing & Painting – Edinburgh College of Art, 1996

Funded Student Exchange Programme – Maryland Institute of Art, Baltimore, (Jan-May) 1995

 

For more information about Griffin Art Prize visit the website.

(Last updated 28.03.2016)

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