Scott August: Pinecone Junction and other favorites

April 7 to June 17, 2007

In Pinecone Junction and other favorites, Scott August explores the relationship between the environment and urban culture. By fusing together visual representations of human and natural surroundings, August suggests a playful look at how modern culture can join with nature.

Despite more traditional Canadian landscapes once proposed by Emily Carr and the Group of Seven, August instead uses escapism to provoke a more contemporary alternative to how we see and interact with nature today. He does this by creating incongruous compositions that include his interpretation of pinecone residential neighborhoods inhabited by domesticated wildlife and other recognizable ‘treats’ into a fictional vista, echoing our western Canadian environment.

On a more serious note August challenges us to view his art as a tool for social dialogues; one that defines cultural heritage while exploring the vast capabilities of the new digital media by abolishing what was once a traditional and conservative view of our environment.

Scott August is a Kelowna based artist who earned his Batchelor of Fine Arts from UBC Okanagan. August owns and operated his own business, specializing in printing fine art reproductions and large scale photographs for other artists. His art practice and livelihood often collide allowing for further exploration into new possibilities in printing, displaying, and installing art and photography.

We hope you enjoy your stay here at Pinecone Junction! The fun continues in the Rotary Courtyard with Armchair, featuring the work from his 25ft Monobrow Cowboy, 2006 from the Duotone Arts Festival, Kelowna.

Sarah Campbell
Interim Curatorial Assistant and Registrar