Scottie Wilson

Saskatchewan NAC Auction House Biography and Notes

SKNAC bio: Scottie Wilson was born Louis Freeman in Glasgow Scotland in 1891. After fighting in World War I with the Scottish Rifles, Wilson emigrated to Canada and settled in Toronto. It was there that he first took up a pen and began doodling, and never stopped. Soon his intricate drawings were sought after and he was able to exhibit widely. He distrusted art dealers, so would show his work widely while preferring to sell it on the street to passersby for a fraction of what art dealers would charge. In 1945 Wilson moved to London, England, and continued drawing and painting, and gaining recognition. In 1950 he was invited to France by artist Jean Dubuffet, where he and Pablo Picasso each acquired multiple Wilson artworks. Scottie Wilson's self-taught 'outsider' artwork consists of imaginative intricate drawings melding plants, birds, animals and people. His works can be found in many important public collections, such as the Tate Modern (London), National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa), National Galleries of Scotland, and the Mackenzie Art Gallery (Regina). Scottie Wilson died in 1972, in London.