John Scott's Prayer Wheel.

John Scott's "Prayer Wheel", 2008, Suzuki Katana motorcycle, aluminium, steel

Via: Nicolas Metivier gallery

"John Scott’s raw, tough and spontaneous approach to drawing continues to pulse with the undiminished youthful energy of committed rebellion and scathing indictments of the ruling classes. Whatever his chosen medium, primarily drawing and transformed objects, his works are at once apocalyptic and hopeful; they evoke both fear of annihilation and the shrewd instinct to survive; they embody the conflicted state of anxiety that characterizes our being. It is also noteworthy that the appeal of his work is widespread and continues to hold relevance for younger generations as well as collectors, galleries and museums. More deeply Scott’s artwork is also intended as an act of resistance to the seemingly endless and inevitable cycles of cruelty, violence and abject behaviours that threaten our very existence. Surely the human imagination has greater potential and is more dynamic than that. By making tangible through his art the vast expanse of his knowledge, thoughts and imagination - by giving voice to the voiceless, by calling forth the dark aspects of our being, his artwork is ultimately intended to reflect optimism and hope.

— David Liss, Director/Curator, Museum of Contemporary Canadian Art"

Prayer Wheel Study (Deep Pulsation), 2008, mixed media on paper, 18 x 24 inches

John Scott was the first recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Visual Art in Canada in 2002. Since the 1980’s his rough drawings and sculptures have prophesized the fragmenting of our psyche by the proliferation of technology and war. His themes, like the omnipotent threat of destruction, have become current in contemporary art and politics. Scott’s sculptures employ found objects such as cars and motorcycles, such as the iconic Apocalypse Trans Am, in the collection of the National Gallery of Canada. In particular he expresses how machines and technology are extensions of human desire. Other recurring images include warplanes, missiles and rabbit-like figures, which symbolize harrassed and anxious victims of oppression."