| In my works I am often dealing with myth as subject matter, I have since an early age been influenced by the writings of Joseph Campbell and the stories themselves. For me, myth does not stop with our cultural archives, but can evolve new meanings with sufficient imagination. Specifically compelling to me are the temple carvings of Khajuraho, India, in which the deities are involved in an erotic tangle - so diametrically opposed to Western norms - that it has become a rich source of inspiration for me. My personal take on these ideas is to bring these gods down to a human level in which being a deity is simply a day job, and their home life may mundane, perhaps not so different from our own.
These beings that populate my works are created from my imagination as well as the people who have coursed through my life. I am often melding these personalities. They are unique and real, flesh and bone. And the process of building their bodies is a very sensual, almost erotic process that can be very intimate. Apart from the natural erotica of viewing another human being nude, which does obviously play a part in the artistic process, I find the body sufficiently expressive on it’s own.
Scott Goodwillie has been exhibiting throughout the U.S. for more than 20 years and had a mid career retrospective at the Frye Art Museum, Seattle in 2004. Working in a blend of classical style merged with Tibetan and Hindu myth, his work has been sought out by adventurous collectors worldwide. He is a curator of TheGreatNude Invitational, and an editor with TheGreatNude.tv |
