AW (Tony) Scott

AW (Tony) Scott (born 10 July 1957) is an Australian artist best known for his colourful landscapes, often painted in acrylics on plywood panels rather than canvas.

Known as Tony, Anthony William Scott signs his work as AW (Tony) Scott in order to differentiate himself from other notable artists including the high profile English movie director, the influential international jazz musician and another, younger Australian artist working in China - all of which share the name of Tony Scott.

Early life

Born in Sydney, AW (Tony) Scott spent his early childhood in the wheat farming town of Harden in rural New South Wales, before the family settled in the coastal village of Saratoga, 90 minutes north of Sydney in 1969. During his high school years at St Edwards Christian Brothers College East Gosford he spent most of his spare time drawing, painting, writing and studying music.

After high school he flirted with a career as a professional musician before creating his own moderately successful magazine publishing business. After selling the business a few years later, the ambitious and creative young man took on a series of executive positions in Sydney, progressing to become a National Sales & Marketing Manager within the dynamic advertising industry.

Career

By the late 1990s AW (Tony) Scott had removed himself from life in the fast lane as an advertising and maketing executive to undertake formal art training at the Hunter Institute of Art & Design in Newcastle. He held his first solo exhibition in 2002. Similar exhibitions followed and continue today at regular intervals.

While the painting style is easily recognisable as that of the Australian artist, the most widely appreciated paintings are those inspired by his European travels, most notably from France, Italy & Spain. The 2010 exhibition, European Escapade, recounted his artistic pilgrimage through Provence and the Cote d'Azure in search of the French Post Impressionists, Vincent Van Gough, Paul Cezanne and Henri Matisse.

Reviews

  • "At Gibson Street AW (Tony) Scott is showing a mixed bag of artworks which include paintings, assemblage, sculpture and graphics. Styles and subjects are equally . He is obviously serious AbOUT what he does and is unafraid of tackling major and controversial topics." - Jill Stowell, Newcastle Herald
  • "Part of Tony's art is derived from his experiences of life in the fast lane - tracing his transition from advertising executive to artist - while other parts are simply a cathartic reflection of the joy of a less complicated lifestyle." - Paul Calligan, The Sun Weekly
  • "Crisp and sharp colours make these works distinctive, capturing the real essence and texture of Italy and the Cote d'Azure" - Scott Levi, ABC Local Radio
  • "Executive burnout forced AW (Tony) Scott of Lake Munmorah to hang up his suit and pick up a paintbrush in the mid 1990s. Scott, who worked in the advertising industry for 20 years, abandoned his career to set up a home office and studio and begin work on his own style of paintings." - Alison Branley, Central Coast Express Advocate
  • "This collection of work is colourful, dynamic and full of energy - well worth seeing" - Gary Graham, The Sunday Telegraph

References

Videos by the Artist

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