Scottie Wilson

1888-1972

Scottie Wilson (born Louis Freeman), was a near illiterate Glaswegian junk dealer living in Canada. In the early 1930s, Wilson one day became captivated by a particularly fine gold-nibbed fountain pen. Feeling the compulsion to draw, he became intensively involved, drawing swirling sinister faces, organic forms and abstract patterns which he hatched and filled with ink. Many of his pictures include central figures which he called his “Meanies” or “Greedies”. He surrounded many of them with contrasting natural images, particularly flowers and fish, using his linear technique. Some of his drawings are densely colored, the designs filled with inks, surrounded by a vibrant background. Others are set against a white background and the colors are more muted. Wilson’s early drawings have a freer expressive line with few elements. His work gradually became more intricate, his line tight and controlled. In his later years his drawing became more decorative, with fewer motifs. In the 1950’s, Wilson became very successful following his acceptance by London’s Surrealist set. He had several exhibitions and his work was collected by Picasso and André Breton, and Victor Musgrave included his drawings in his Outsider Archive collection. ¹