As a child struggling with dyslexia, Scarlett Raven expressed herself through paint. Encouraged by her art teacher, she created a world in which Frida Kahlo, Salvador Dalí and Vincent Van Gogh were her friends. Their inner turmoil, self-love and courage gave her the confidence to pursue her dream of becoming an artist, and now, inspired by their self-portraits, she has reconnected with her 11-year-old self for a heart-warming journey of rediscovery. It’s the first collection for Scarlett following her groundbreaking World War One project, The Danger Tree. Co-creator Marc Marot has once again integrated the artworks with layers of multimedia, including animation, graphics, music and narration – viewable with the Artivive app.
“Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up.” PABLO PICASSO
From her classroom, Scarlett Raven created an imaginary world where Vincent van Gogh, Frida Kahlo and Salvador Dalí were her friends. Encouraged by her art teacher, she explored their self-portraits and fell in love with painting. Her new collection, Portrait: The Reason Why I Paint , has seen her embark on the rediscovery of herself and her art to create a series of startling works that capture her childhood heroes. FOREWORD impasto style – made famous by her World War One project, The Danger Tree – embodies the tumultuous emotions of her subjects: Pablo Picasso, Frida Kahlo, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Andy Warhol, Leonardo da Vinci, Jackson Pollock, Salvador Dalí and Vincent van Gogh. Inner turmoil, courage and self-love are expressed through layers of oil paint and digital animation created by Marc Marot. Over the period of a year, the painter reconnected with her 11-year-old self. Her signature
“Without these artists, I wouldn’t be who I am,” says Scarlett. “They were my best friends, my place to play, feel, laugh and cry. It felt like meeting real people and making real connections; they became a family and a world I felt safe in.” As her confidence grew, Scarlett abandoned her insecurities and relearnt how to transform colours, shapes and textures into emotive portraits. The facial features she once glimpsed in the terrains of her landscape works metamorphosised into the artists who changed history forever, enhanced by Marc’s augmented reality productions. “There’s something so magical about thick oil paint,” adds Scarlett. “It has a heartbeat and it feels like you’re moulding a life when creating a person. Every time I look at their work, I feel like that 11-year-old girl who discovered the world and herself for the first time. I had to lose myself completely to learn who I was.”
THE ARTISTS CHANGING THE WAY YOU VIEW ART SCARLETT RAVEN & MARC MAROT
Branding themselves ‘The Augmentists’, Scarlett Raven and Marc Marot are acknowledged to be amongst the world’s first augmented reality fine artists. Deconstructing the process of painting, their work hides an alternative dimension. Layers of oil paint are integrated with animation, graphics, music and narration created by Marc. He adds: “Our work is highly emotionally-charged, and its power lies in allowing our audience to immerse themselves in very powerful feelings and multimedia.” To unlock the multiple layers, download the free Artivive app from the iOS app store or Google Play Store and scan your painting. The augmented reality technology will strip away the paint and storytelling, taking you on Scarlett and Marc’s creative journey. AUGMENTED REALITY HERE’S HOW IT WORKS
SCARLETT RAVEN
MARC MAROT
A graduate of the prestigious Central Saint Martins School of Art, Scarlett’s fans include Orlando Bloom, Lord Jonathan Marland, Duffy and Take That (all of whom own original pieces). Passionate about colour, her dynamic approach often sees her use her hands rather than a brush to apply oil paint. Her sweeping arm gestures create movement and direction, with the artist being likened to Anselm Kiefer and Jackson Pollock. Scarlett says: “I’ve always seen the world through sound, movement and colour. Art is a vehicle for my emotions; as a child, I took my sketchbook everywhere and collected textures of memories. My studio is one of my happiest creative places.”
Marc has enjoyed a successful career as a record executive, including an 18-year stint as the president of Island Records. This saw him work with many of the world’s most successful recording artists, including Pulp, The Cranberries and U2. In 2014, Scarlett approached Marc to be her manager. Inspired by the potential of technology, he suggested using augmented reality for her paintings and the pair formed the creative banner Maven Art. With Scarlett painting the artworks and Marc creating the digital animation, the duo conceived The Danger Tree : a critically-acclaimed series of original and limited edition artworks exposing the true story of World War One.
SALVADOR DALÍ
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas
“I was really inspired by Dalí and the Surrealists as it meant I could make my landscapes represent the same feelings and emotions as portraits. I wasn’t a good reader, but we studied Wuthering Heights at school and I loved the comparison of nature and emotions.”
JEAN-MICHEL BASQUIAT
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas
Also available as a signed limited edition print on canvas and canvas on board
“When I think of Basquiat, I think of himself splattered all over his canvases – he reacts to his environment and past with stunning conviction. He’s encouraged me to be truthful and paint for the moment and myself.”
FRIDA KAHLO
“The truth in her paintings is astonishing. It’s a pure portal into the beauty and struggles of taking each breath. Her documentation of her life experiences and her triumph over them is breathtaking.”
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas Also available as a signed limited edition print on canvas and canvas on board
ANDY WARHOL
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas
“Warhol was an important part of my art education. At school, I copied his work and studied printmaking. The strength of character in his works is unforgettable. Alongside these other artists, he changed history.”
MARC MAROT DIGITAL ARTIST
“So much has been said and written about the lives of these artists that it seems perhaps a little pointless to add more words about them. I’d prefer to concentrate on the artist who created them: Scarlett Raven. “She’s been creating art since she was eight years old. As a teenager, she battled anxiety and depression, but her mother noticed that when Scarlett concentrated on her art, her demons faded into the background – and encouraged her to become the artist she is now.
“When Scarlett first proposed the eight portrait subjects, I was thrilled to see Basquiat and Warhol on the list. Back in 1985, when I was heading up the music publishing division of Island Records, I had lunch with both of them in New York. Faced with two geniuses, I had so little to say! “These are emotional works, honouring the gifts and comfort they gave Scarlett. I’m happy to say that I was able to stand back and let Scarlett’s paint do the talking.”
VINCENT VAN GOGH
“Van Gogh is why I paint. The emotion he reveals through his use of oil paint embodies everything that can’t be said. Extreme happiness and uncontrollable sadness...it breaks and mends my heart, again and again.”
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas Also available as a signed limited edition print on canvas and canvas on board
JACKSON POLLOCK Original Oil on Boxed Canvas
“I love his confidence and the freeness of existence within his art, which contrasts perfectly with his introverted personality. Action painting has always affected my work; it marks that someone was there and felt something.”
LEONARDO DA VINCI
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas
“He is a true master. I’ve always gone to his work for inspiration on anatomy and the human form; his art and research were ahead of science. The world is forever in his debt.”
PABLO PICASSO
“His work is remarkable, breaking apart the world and building it back together in a way that you can see everything for what it is. From his incredible form to his Blue Period, Cubism and depiction of women – it’s staggering.”
Original Oil on Boxed Canvas Also available as a signed limited edition print on canvas and canvas on board
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Artwork available to buy through Castle Fine Art. Please visit castlefineart.com to find your local gallery or to make an enquiry.
You can experience a digital extension for this collection. Just start the Artivive app on your smartphone or tablet. When you point it towards the artwork, this will come to life.
Install the Artivive app 1.
2. Hold your smartphone in front of the image
The images contained within this literature are an artistic representation of the collection. To best experience our art, we recommend you contact your local gallery to arrange a viewing. © Washington Green 2019. The content of this brochure is subject to copyright and no part can be reproduced without prior permission.
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