Worcester’s Scott Boilard Produces Imaginative Surrealist Art

Thursday, July 04, 2013

Jeffrey Starr, GoLocalWorcester Contributor

Surrealist Artist Scott Boilard

Worcester's Scott Boilard sketches and draws every day. Of these creations only a relative few become major works, or pieces that will be displayed either at art shows or on the artist's website. Is this frustrating? Perhaps to the lay man, but any artist can relate. Being a perfectionist is almost innate to the calling, and identifying this passion as a "calling" is an apt description, especially for Boilard.

"I have been drawing since before I can remember and have been painting for the past 20 years," remarks the Worcester native. "The desire to draw and paint I guess just came natural as I've just always been doing it to this day."

Without such an ability to express himself, he'd be in a dreadfully unfamiliar world.

"Drawing and painting has always been, to me, part release, part escape; meditative and a place where I can surprise myself sometimes with visuals that are new to me."

He temporarily moved from Worcester to hone his craft at the Art Institute of Boston, where he majored in illustration and minored in fine arts with a focus on painting.

An education, though, only goes so far in art. Much depends on the specific artist's own innate talent, and the available creativity within. This is especially true for Boilard's specific style, a modified form of surrealism. Surrealism emphasizes freedom, or the snapping of the shackles of traditional art, and creativity and freedom go hand in hand. Basically, he takes realistic, normal or natural figures and puts an incredibly imaginative spin on said subject.

"My works mostly come from my imagination, but i do observe a lot around me for inspiration as far as color, textures, forms, atmospheres, etc. I do a lot with the figure and animalistic hybrid forms among other things," says Boilard.

"Although I do representational pieces, I have always loved abstract expressionist paintings and the freedom it has, so I try to use representational subjects in abstract ways; such as exaggerations, hybrids, surreal juxtapositions, whatever I feel works together and makes for a good composition."

The materials he uses familiar. He decided which to use based on specific pieces. His sketches and more complex drawings are done in graphite and ink. For his larger paintings he uses oils, the smaller ones, acrylics on wood panels and blocks.

Meaningful Subject Matter

Apathy, Ambition and Death by Scott Boilard

The subject matter he chooses to portray is perhaps more complicated, and unique in form. He likes to emphasize the influence of "stream of consciousness" when discussing the inspiration behind his particular works, which means the true meaning within each piece is often complex and multilayered, filled with intrepid symbolism. Very rarely does he begin a piece with a specific idea of a subject in mind and finish a work with those exact mental parameters

On the surface, you will find some his works seem rather dark, menacing even (specifics include skeletons in cardinal robes, various ghostly figures, metallic animals, nude human/animal hybrids, etc.) but don't let this superficial recognition drive you away from looking deeper into the work, and find your own personal message. Boilard wants to the creations that spring from his consciousness to allow viewers to explore their own.

"I hope people can find their own meanings when viewing my work. I don't always know why I make what I make, but to ignore an idea because it may not make perfect sense to me would hinder what could be an interesting piece. People often ask me what specific works "mean", but I don't usually give that away; I want them to arrive at their own personal conclusions. I don't even really like having to give them titles because it's almost like telling the viewer what to think. I hope that doesn't make them stop wondering and thinking about the piece," he says.

Art connoisseurs as far away as Russia have had the opportunity to view his work. He currently has pieces on display at the MF Gallery in Brooklyn for their 10th anniversary show. He's also of course shown his work multiple times in Worcester including at stART on the Street, the C.C. Lowell First Show Gallery, Art Fusion, Art at the Bijou, and many more. But he certainly wishes to expand his audience in the near future

"The biggest challenge to me is getting my work out to a wider audienceI've shown for years here in Worcester and it's been a great experience and I want to keep doing it, but I also want to show in other cities."

Given his striking talents and potent imagination, it seems finding this wider audience is inevitable.

For more information on Scott Boilard and to view some of his work please visit his website.