Everyday City Life: The Art Portfolio of Scott Ivey
Scott Ivey is a Washington, D.C.-based artist who works in oil paint, watercolour, charcoal, and other traditional media, producing works that capture scenes of everyday city life. The artist’s images are designed to capture the aesthetic of aged, sepia-toned photographs, with Scott tending to work in an additive fashion, starting with a dark-coloured canvas and adding light.
The colour palettes that Scott uses in his artworks are particularly striking. The artist’s affinity for rich neutral hues lends itself to works that emulate the aesthetics of sepia-toned photographs, as well as older film photographs that have been artificially recoloured, or that have faded after many years of storage. In some cases it’s a surprise to discover that the actual medium of the work is watercolour, or charcoal -- the illusion is quite striking.
Though Scott’s works often present views of deserted city streets, with lighting conditions that suggest dusk or early morning, I don’t really get a sense of isolation from the pieces. Rather, there’s an overarching mood of quiet contemplation, even peace -- like taking a walk early in the morning to watch the sun rise.
