“CREATION of a MOVEMENT” BY AYO SCOTT
Ayo Scott is coming into his own. He was born into New Orleans artistic royalty as the only son of the late MacArthur Fellow John T. Scott whose sculptures dot the city. And while we can see the influence of the older artist’s aesthetic, Ayo’s voice is distinct, clear, and strong. In this piece, Ayo revisits Michaelangelo’s Sistine Chapel through the lens of twenty-first-century urban America. This large-scale mixed-media piece uses metaphor to challenge the Western tradition’s claim on creation stories. The piece presents a tragic comic blend of irreverence, humor, pain, and yearning that situates Ayo squarely in the blues, jazz, and hip-hop traditions. He’s one to watch.