Biography of Patrick Scott
Irish-born painter, Patrick Scott, is celebrated for his stunning gold leaf paintings, which often combine pared down geometric compositions and gold leaf, against washed-out backgrounds.
Born in 1921 in County Cork, Patrick Scott studied architecture at University College Dublin before working for the architect Michael Scott. Teaching himself to paint in his spare time, he only decided to devote himself fully to painting in the 1960s. Deeply involved in Zen Buddhism, his paintings and limited editions can be identified by their sense of calm and gentle self-reflection.
Inspired to pick up a paintbrush by the sea in County Cork where he grew up, he was greatly influenced by the work of Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne. Exhibiting regularly with the White Stag Group, in 1944 Patrick Scott held his first solo exhibition at the White Stag Gallery.
During the 1940s he painted and designed the backdrops, tapestries and carpets for the Gate Theatre in Dublin. In 1960 he had the honor of representing Ireland at the Venice Biennale. That same year he won the Guggenheim Award. His work is in many prestigious international collections, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In 1981 the Douglas Hyde Gallery held a major retrospective of his work. In 2013 Patrick Scott married his partner of 30 years, Eric Pearce. He died in 2014 at the age of 93.