I have known Pat Scott for a long time – I first encountered in Dublin many years ago. At the time I was impressed by his mastery of his material as well as by his iconography.
Born in County Cork in 1921, Scott studied in Dublin where he resided for most of his life. In 1960 he won the Guggenheim Prize and represented Ireland in the 30th Venice Biennale. His work is to be found in important collections world-wide, including the MoMA in New York. He has had several major exhibitions in Dublin, including the Douglas Hyde and the Hugh Lane Galleries.
 He very early on chose to devote himself to very spare, almost minimalist, statements by means of exquisite craftsmanship and a painstaking attention to detail. His choice of colours was also restrained, far from the flamboyance prevalent in the paintings of the sixties. His use of gold and silver (palladium) led the viewer into a meditative frame of mind. There was a quality of almost Zen-like introspection in those beautifully crafted pieces. His preferred shapes are the square and the circle with their pared down constructs. His early training as an architect can be detected in the at times decorative aspects of his paintings. This lends them an intemporal quality.
In fact with the show currently held at the Irish Cultural Centre one has at first sight the feeling of entering a chapel or place of worship. This of course is enhanced by the plentiful use of gold leaf, reminiscent of Christian or Byzantine icons. There are only twelve paintings and one sculpture – made up of sixteen gilt squares hanging from a steel structure, it sways gently in mid-air. This emphasises the notion of a tabernacle.
Scott admits to having been impressed, even influenced, by Japanese aesthetics and his fascination is well reflected in this particular exhibition. The show is entitled “Meditations” and indeed that is what is on offer here. It provides a much needed oasis of calm in the particularly turbulent times we are living through at the moment.
Until 4th March
CENTRE CULTUREL IRLANDAIS
5, rue des Irlandais Paris 75005
With the Stoney Road Press, Dublin.
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