Matthew Cole Scott

I was born in Los Angeles in 1970. Across the street from my elementary school was Barnsdall Park, home to Frank Lloyd Wright's Hollyhock House and the Junior Arts Center. Here is where I would take my first art classes. My mother received her degree in art and made sure to encourage my sisters and I to be creative by taking us to many museums and galleries in the seventies, and also giving us the tools to create with, such as paint and clay, and other mediums that were available.

I've always been fascinated by found treasures. I believe this has something to do with stories children are told early on about pirates booty, lost swords, a magic lamp. I can recall pleading with my mom on road trips to "please stop at that barn!" I wanted to look in abandoned buildings for lost items. Found object art came to me naturally.

I first heard the word assemblage in the early 90's. A friend came to my house and saw that my room was an installation. He made me go to L.A. with him to see a George Herms show. It was a retrospect of his work from the previous 30 years. And out of all of Los Angeles where was this show? Barnsdall Park! (www.barnsdallartpark.com) I was really excited at what I saw down there, and I knew that I needed to start creating more pieces with all the beautiful scraps I had been collecting over the years.

In the mid 90's I began welding at Cabrillo College. I love it! And there is much to learn still. Other classes I attended include photojournalism, small scale metal and jewelry, color and design, silk screening, 3-D design, and photography. I am currently a freelance photographer.