ABOUT THE ARTIST: Scott Marsh (b. 1984) is an Australian fine artist who picked up his first spray can at the age of 12 and began tagging the streets of his Sydney neighbourhood. In his teens, his focus turned to train carriages. He embarked on several tours of rail yards across the globe, forging a reputation as one of the most talented graffiti writers of his generation and taking the so-called Sydney-style to bold new levels.

In 2009, he completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts, majoring in Painting, at the UNSW COFA (College of Fine Arts) and soon after began receiving commissions for large scale commercial murals.

As a leading figure in the rise of graffiti-based art, Marsh’s works are sought after by international collectors. His paintings are created with both brush and spray-can, exemplifying traditional techniques in oils and acrylics, combined with late-1990s street-art. His use of complex layering to create depth and texture, combined with a razor-sharp eye for colour - honed from years of putting up illegal pieces on trains - has resulted in one of the most interesting and dynamic fusions in Australian fine art.

Marsh’s subject matter is similarly refreshing; a juxtaposition of classic ‘high-art’ themes (still life, and the female nude) with contemporary motifs derived from his years as a graffiti writer. His current floral series, takes familiar Australian flora and presents it with his former ‘tools of the trade’; spray-cans and bolt cutters. While Marsh is obviously working with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, the result is none-the-less beautiful for it.

His political murals, rendered on an enormous scale, have garnered world-wide attention, dealing with issues as diverse as liquor-licensing laws (Casino Mike, 2016), to environmentalism (Reef Killers, 2017) and Marriage Equality (Bride of Tony Abbott, 2017).

Marsh is also at once fascinated and repulsed by the cult of celebrity. Kanye Loves Kanye (2015) a gargantuan image of pop star Kanye West embracing himself, went viral, attracting the attention of international media.