Vertical Portraits: Scott Mills
Vertical Gallery’s 13-Year Anniversary Show brings together 13 longtime collector favorites and emerging talents from across Chicago, across the U.S. and across the globe. One of the 13 artists, Asheville, N.C.-based pop surrealist Scott Mills, is making his first-ever Windy City gallery appearance.
Scott depicts nature at its most unnatural, bringing to life a multi-hued menagerie of otherworldly creatures — e.g., birds with antlers, moss-covered bears and fuzzy pink monsters.
“My work grew out of a love of nature, combined with my interests in psychology and philosophy, toys and cartoons, juxtaposed colors and ideas, and spirituality,” the Detroit-born, self-taught painter says. “I usually do not plan my paintings out, and enjoy the surprise and challenge of letting the work slowly reveal itself.”
Each artist featured in Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Show was asked to deliver four original works sized at 12 x 12 in. (30 x 30 cm). “My four pieces are an exploration of symbiosis and layers of existence that life can present,” Scott explains. “An example could be how something can be light and playful, but at the same time have an intricate depth of emotion and meaning that is evident upon closer viewing.”
Scott is excited for his Chicago debut. “So much music and art that I have loved has come out of Chicago, so I am thrilled to be able to show my work there,” he says. “I hope that people walk away from my work with a sense of playfulness, peace and awe at the beauty and strangeness of life.”
Vertical’s 13-Year Anniversary Show is on view through April 19 in partnership with Jackson Junge Gallery, located at 1389 N Milwaukee Ave.