Achi news desk-
She was awarded the prize for her work using folded paper and homemade botanical pigments.
Charlene only started her hobby in her 40s, going to art school, and will now spend three months in the summer of 2024 at the Glenfiddich distillery in Dufftown, Moray, as part of their Artists in Residence (AiR) programme. She will be accompanied by a variety of talents from all over the world.
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The former travel agent said she was ‘shocked and pleased’ to win the award. He said: “The residency is such a gift.
“My work is quite slow, and I need time to enjoy my surroundings. I’m really looking forward to developing my work at Glenfiddich.”
Charlene creates her work by making her own colors from plants she has grown in her garden. She has been hailed by the bosses behind the prize as a complex and underappreciated artist.
He added: “I use a stove in the garden to make pigments – when I use the kitchen my family complain about the smell!
“I can’t help but make connections between the aesthetics of minimalism and the basic principles of vegetarianism and ecology.
“I use line, folds, repetition and pattern along with botanical pigments to build a framework that will hopefully entice a viewer to look closely and linger a little longer.”
The prize, which is supported by distillery owners William Grant & Sons, is awarded annually at the RSA’s New Contemporaries exhibition in Edinburgh, which is regarded as the premier exhibition of emerging art. in Scotland. Charlene, who has two grown-up daughters and a 16-year-old son, fulfilled a lifelong ambition when she started a degree course at Edinburgh College of Art in her late forties.
Andy Fairgrieve, Glenfiddich Residency Program Coordinator, says Charlene’s distinctive work, made by folding paper to create lines and patterns and then adding color from natural pigments she makes herself, has caught the eye of the judges and hard to ignore.
He said: “It would be easy to dismiss the works of Charlene Scott, however, the longer you stay and absorb her works the more is revealed.
“Not unlike a craft single malt whisky, her work is a clean yet complex celebration of simplicity with a great sense of hidden depth. She will be a perfect fit for this year’s Glenfiddich Residence.”
This is not the first time that Charlene has been recognized for her artistic talents. While at Edinburgh College of Art, she won the James Cumming Prize for Draughtsmanship, the Astaire Art Prize and the John Kinross RSA Traveling Scholarship, which enabled her to spend six weeks in Florence.
The RSA’s New Contemporaries exhibition brings together the work of recent graduates selected from each of the five art schools in Scotland. Due to an exhibition being canceled during the pandemic, this year’s exhibition features 104 artists, double the usual number, drawing graduates from the classes of 2022 and 2023.
Gareth Fisher, President of the RSA and co-convenor of the Cycoes Newydd exhibition, said: “The support offered to emerging artists through the Glenfiddich Artist-in-Residence Award at RSA New Contemporaries demonstrates Glenfiddich’s commitment to investing in talent Scottish creative.
“Not only does the recipient get the time and space to develop their practice, but the opportunity also provides unparalleled access to a network of international artists. The support that the award provides is key at this early stage of their practice, and the Academy is extremely grateful to Glenfiddich for their ongoing partnership.”
