1 Title: Head of State Medium: oil on canvas, 16 x 34", 2004 Intent: On a barren landscape stretches a line of powerbrokers, money and contracts in hand. They calmly wait their turn to climb a collection of ladders that support a giant empty head. Two of them stare out of the empty sockets, taking in the view. The head belongs to George Bush, the identities of the other gentlemen are unknown, irrelevant. The Oligarchs prefer to remain anonymous. So much for Democracy. The scene is set in ancient Rome, the model for all western empires. 2 Title: Embedded Medium: oil oc canvas, 20 x 24", 2004 Intent: A Roman soldier aims a plum, on the end of his sword, into the mouth of woman, barely covering her nakedness with armor. She is what passed for a free press, " embedded " with the U.S. army in Iraq. The role of our compromised press in selling this disaster was nothing less than a crime. We can only hope that the waste of life and treasure, the terrible chaos we've brought the region, are so obvious, and so irresistible to this same sensation hungry press, that come November, they will unsell it and the criminals responsible. Background: Scott Siedman has mastered the medium of painting to a degree rarely seen in modern times. He uses his mastery to explore the overlapping regions of the sacred and the profane, in an effort to strip away the pretenses that have traditionally been applied to depictions of divinity. His images venture into the realm of taboo, mixing the sensual, the sexual, and the divine. In his own words, "Dirty Pictures was the title of my first solo show of religious erotica. The title refered not only to the forbidden, the blasphemous content, but also to their connection to the earth. Another show was called Sacred Porn. I was not being ironic. These are devotional paintings, expressions of my belief that through the sexual act we connect with our animal nature, with the earth, with God." From the synergy between Scott Siedman's incomparable technical mastery and religious, erotic subject matter is born work that is uniquely provocative and deeply compelling. Though stylistically rooted in the historical traditions of religious painting, and while violating traditional boundaries between the sacred and the profane, this is a body of work wholly contemporary. Siedman's lush surfaces, rich texture, exquisite sense of light and sophisticated handling of paint are its most captivating aspects. Much of Siedman's work is transgressive, and, for some, disturbing: some of the acts depicted fall clearly into the category of deviant. The explicit nature of these paintings gives them a charge, one that is amplified by the drama, passion, theatricality and sensuality of the Baroque sensibility he draws upon. That said, he also exihibits a great tenderness towards his subjects. Sexualized religious figures, like Christ or angels, become humanized through their participation in the sensual world. Their depiction is not cynical, but gentle and sympathetic. There is a transcendental power, the power of God manifest through the beauty of the natural, heightened through stylistic drama, a quality his work shares with the best of religious painting. The exquisite craftsmanship, degree of detail and level of emotion are also characteristics that appear to belong to another century. The care that he brings to his subjects creates an emotional resonance rarely seen in contemporary painting. Selected Solo Exhibitions 2004 - Propaganda, Cirle Elephant Art, LA, CA 2002 - Unspeakable, Cirle Elephant Art, LA, CA 1998 - Robert Berman Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1996 - The Age of Miracles, Catherine Clark Gallery, San Franciso, CA 1995 - Triumph of Man Over Nature, Morphos Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1994 - Sacred Porn, Julie Rico Gallery, Santa Monica, CA 1994 - Love Over Death, Morphos Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1992 - Scott Siedman: Dirty Pictures, Morphos Gallery, SF,CA 1991 - Passenger, Gallery Imago, San Francisco, CA 1988 - Interiors, Hotel Diva Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1984 - Believing, Falucci Stendhal Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1982 - Fat Heads, Gallery Flora, San Anselmo, CA 1978 - Assignment Tahiti, Vancouver Magazine HQ. BC, Canada 1975 - Larger Than Life, Hom Gallery, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1974 - Found Images, Black Acre Gallery, Santa Rosa, CA Selected Group Exhibitions 2001 - Six California Painters, Circle Elephant Art, LA, CA 1996 - Consumption, Catherine Clark Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1996 - Psychoanalysis and Art : The Re-Embodiment of Desire, Somar Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1996 - Hotel Triton Art Fair, with Morphos Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1994 - Something for Everyone, Morphos Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1994 - Savage Love / Tongues, Magic Theater, San Francisco, CA 1994 - Barbie and Beyond, Morphos Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1993 - LA International Art Fair, with Morphos Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1987 - Dana Reich Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1987 - Critcal Mass, Falucci Stendhal Gallery, San Francisco, CA 1975 - Foundations- The Figure, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1975 - New Materials, Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA 1975 - Group Show, Los Angeles Art Association Gallery, Los Angeles, CA 1971 - Forces at Work, Joint Mural Project for Los Angeles Selected Commissions 2001 - The Bridge, The Westin's, Temecula, CA 2000 - Secretariat, John St. House, Manhatten Beach, CA 2000 - Louis and Marciano, John St. House, Manhatten Beach,CA 1999 - Ceiling Mural, John St. House, Manhattan Beach, CA. 1998 - Temple of Dreams, Richard Starley, Coto De Caza, CA 1997 - Apollo Rising, Richard Starley, Coto De Caza, CA 1996 - Triumph of Man Over Nature, Bronze Sculpture, Richard Dunn, San Francisco, CA 1994 - Baptism of Christ, Richard Dunn, San Francisco, CA 1992 - Ceiling Mural, Cary Clafter, 10 x 14 ft., San Francisco, CA 1991 - Corpore Portavit, Susan Sahajian, Fresno, CA 1991 - Rampant Putti, Robert McCaffery, 8 x 10 ft., Fresno, CA 1990 - Fallen Angel, John Cummings, mixed media sculpture, 6 x 12 ft., Fresno,CA 1989 - Giant Ramp, Rector Corporation, mural, 12 x 24 ft., Ronert Park, CA 1989 - Art and the Supermarket, Palo Alto Coop Supermarket, Palo Alto, CA 1988 - Aqui e Agor, Groupo Historias De Contadoras, poster, Parachy, Brazil 1989 - Kouri, Lawrence Johnson, San Francisco, CA 1978 - Tahiti, Vancouver Magazine, Assignment and Exhibition, Vancouver, BC, Canada 1976 - Building the Forum , Habitat Forum: United Nations Conference on the Environment, mural 12 x 36 ft., Vancouver, BC, Canada Motion Pictures 2001 - This is Jaqueline Caine, Director, Short. 2000 - Southside, Production Designer, Feature Film. Set Design 2001 - Fallstaff, Ojai Shakespeare Festival, Ojai, CA 2000 - Oblong Man, Stella Adler Theater, Los Angeles, CA 1999 - Break of Day , Lillian Theater, Los Angeles, CA 1999 - Wild Kingdom, Hidden Theater Company, Culver City, CA 1999 - Suitcase Tales, Odyssey Theater, Los Angeles, CA 1998 - Small Prey, A one woman show by Nora Dunn, Powerhouse Theater, Santa Monica, CA 1997 - Son of Othello, Celebration Theater, Los Angeles, CA 1991 - Some Fell Among Thorns, Bindlestiff Poductions, San Francisco, CA 1990 - The Dummy, Climate Theater Productions, San Francisco, CA 1990 - No Left Turn, Tisman-Slavin Productions, San Francisco, CA 1989 - Bitsy LaFever's Kingdom of Passion, Climate Theater Productions, San Francisco, CA 1989 - The Doba Show, William Allard Productions, San Francisco, CA 1983 - Harvest of Dance, Bolinas Dance Company, Bolinas, CA Education Bachelor of Fine Arts, California Institute of the Arts, Valencia, CA John Baldessari, Mentor. Awards Bank of America Award for Fine Arts Scholarship to attend Chiounard Art School ( California Institute of the Arts) Valencia, Ca