Chronology

1941

Born in the City of Wells, England, youngest son of artists, William and Mary Scott. Scott attends boarding schools Port Regis and then Bryanston School (Art Scholarship). His interest in photography begins with the gift of a box camera at nine.

1955

Visits Spain and the Lascaux caves in France with his family.

1959 - 60

Sorbonne University, Paris (Cours de Civilization Français).  Sees the beginnings of the French New Wave cinema.  Attends the Edinburgh Film Festival.  Sees the seminal films that will impact him: "Shadows"  (Cassavetes);  "À Bout de Souffle (Breathless)" (Godard); Les Quatre Cents Coups (Truffaut); Hiroshima Mon Amour (Resnais). Scott starts at the Slade School of Fine Art, London (Major in Fine Art, subsidiary in Theater Design).  While at the Slade starts work on his first film, a 16mm dramatic short,  "The Rocking Horse"  (Drewe Henley and Jenny Lousada); the film is invited to the Venice and Vancouver festivals.

1962

“The Rocking Horse” is awarded an X-certificate in England.  Scott meets Tony Richardson and John Osborne who sign him to write and direct his first feature film “The Sea” for Woodfall Films (unfinished).

Films colour tests for Tom Jones for Tony Richardson using candle light as light source.

1963

Scott teaches film at Bath Academy of Art. He writes and produces the short film "Changes" starring Anthony Hopkins and directed by Drewe Henley.

Assassination of John F. Kennedy.

1964

Travel: Berlin (East and West) 

1964 - 65

Travels to Berlin and crosses over the wall to East Berlin to see Brecht’s Berliner Ensemble and the Komische Oper.

Meets filmmakers Bernardo Bertolucci and Marco Bellochio in Rome.

New American ‘underground’ films at the ICA with Adam Sitney.

To earn membership in the film union, Scott starts work as an assistant editor for documentary production company making films for the Central Office of Information.

Scott establishes Maya Film Productions with Adam Barker-Mill and Barney Platts-Mills.

1966

Directs his first artist’s  documentary.  “Love’s Presentation” following David Hockney at work on a book of etchings (Bergamo International Film Festival, Italy)

1967

Scott marries Anna Partridge.  He directs the documentary “R.B. Kitaj” for the Arts Council of Great Britain.  He brings Barney Platts-Mills and Adam Barker-Mill to join him teaching at Bath Academy of Art. His first son, Alexander is born. 

Release of the Beatles’ Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

1968

May - In Paris, massive confrontations between police and students bring workers out on a general strike and bring the government to the point of collapse.

1969

The My Lai Massacre becomes public knowledge.           

Scott directs the artist documentary "Richard Hamilton" for the Arts Council of Great Britain.

1970

Researches and writes screenplay inspired by the book “Savage Messiah” about the relationship of the young sculptor, Henri Gaudier and Sophie Brezeska.

With Marc Karlin, Scott begins filming “Nightcleaners” in London following the women’s struggle to unionize.  Establishes the Berwick Street Film collective with Marc Karlin, Humphry Trevelyan and Richard Mordaunt and is later joined by Mary Kelly.

1971

He directs the double-screen documentary “ The Great Ice Cream Robbery” based on a visit to London of Claes Oldenburg and Hannah Wilkes at the time of the Oldenburg retrospective at the Tate Gallery, (Arts Council of Great Britain).  His eldest daughter, Rosie is born.  Joins the board of The Other Cinema.

Scott writes and directs his first feature film “Adult Fun” for Maya Film Productions, (London International Film Festival, Hof International Film Festival Germany, Benalmadena Film Festival, Spain).

1972

He works on the editing and completion of  “Nightcleaners” with the Berwick Street Film Collective.  Spends time in Belfast working with the people of the Ardoyne and screening films for local communities.

1974 

Scott begins a documentary “Antonio Tapies” on the Spanish artist and goes to Barcelona with Sir Roland Penrose to film and interview Tapies.

August – Richard Nixon resigns as United States President.

1975 

Scott goes to Saudi Arabia to supervise the editing of the documentary on the pilgrimage to Mecca, “Hajj 75” for King Abdulaziz University, Jeddah,

Starts writing and preparation for a feature film to be set in Conamara, Ireland.

Release of “Nightcleaners” (Edinburgh Film Festival).

1976 

Scott is a Founder member of the Independent Filmmakers Association, London (IFA).           

He writes and directs the feature film “Coilin and Platonida” for ZDF (German Television - das kleinefernsehspiel), based on the short story by Nicolai Leskov entitled “Kotin the Provider and Platonida”.  It uses the participation of local Conamara people to play the roles and is a silent film shot on 8mm and re-filmed onto 16mm and is broadcast in Germany on the second channel.

1977 - 78

Scott co-directs the documentary “‘36 to’77” for the British Film Institute, London.

Retrospectives of Scott’s films at The National Film Theatre, London, and the National Cinematheques in Paris, Madrid and Barcelona, and at the Institute Of Contemporary Art, London, and Film International, Rotterdam, Holland.

1979 - 80

Scott establishes a new production company, Flamingo Pictures with Christine Oestreicher.  He writes and directs the documentary “Chance, History, Art...” for the Arts Council of Great Britain – Melbourne Film Festival - Silver Boomerang award.

1981

With Christine Oestreicher Scott produces the Academy Award nominated short film “Couples and Robbers” (Writer/Director: Clare Peploe).

1982           

Scott produces the short film “Samson and Delilah” (Writer/Director: Mark Peploe)

He writes, directs and produces “A Shocking Accident” (Rupert Everett and Jenny Seagrove) based on the short story by Graham Greene.

1983           

Scott wins Academy Award (Oscar) and British Academy Nomination for Best Live Action Short Film for “A Shocking Accident”.

1984

BRITISH ACADEMY NOMINATION (BAFTA) - Best Live Action Short Film, London. 

1984           

Scott directs the feature film “Every Picture Tells a Story” for Channel Four TV based on the early life of his father, William Scott. (Alex Norton, Phyllis Logan and Natasha Richardson).

1985           

Scott directs the After School Special “Getting Even” for ABC, New York, USA.

1986

Scott starts the adaptation for a re-make of “Loser Takes All” based on the novel by Graham Greene.  Meets with Graham Greene in Antibes, France.

1987           

Scott directs “Inspector Morse - The Last Enemy “ for Central TV, London.

1988-89           

Scott directs the feature film “Loser Takes All (aka Strike It Rich)” starring Molly Ringwald, Robert Lindsay, and John Gielgud and distributed by Miramax Films

His father, William Scott, dies after living for six years with Alzheimer’s disease.

Fall of the Berlin Wall.

1990-91

Scott meets Buzz Aldrin in Nice on a Citroen tv commercial.           

Scott moves to California and returns to painting. Meets Yolanda Orozco in Santa Monica, California.

Exhibition: Berkeley Square Gallery, (group show with Francis Bacon), London.

1992     

Exhibition: Recent Paintings at the Drawing Room Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

1993           

Exhibition: Paintings and drawings at the Drawing Room Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

1994

Exhibition:, Paper Presence, Jan Abrams Gallery,  Los Angeles, CA.

Exhibition: Scottfree, Paintings, drawings and prints at Direct Art, Santa Monica, CA.

1995

Scott marries Yolanda Orozco.  Birth of his second daughter, Paloma.           

Exhibition: LAPS - New Members Show, Los Angeles, CA (award winner).

1996

Exhibition: New Arts Program, Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania.

Exhibition: Visual Arts Alliance, Houston, Texas.

Exhibition: Cynthia’s, Los Angeles, CA.

Exhibition: Art Works 96, Los Angeles, CA.

1997

Exhibition: Barnsdall Park Art Center, Los Angeles, CA,

Juried Exhibition.

Exhibition: Jayne Behman Gallery, Palm Springs, CA.

1998

Exhibition: BGH, Bergamot Station, Santa Monica, CA.

1999

Scott's mother, Mary Scott dies at home in England and is buried in Northern Ireland.

2001           

Exhibition: Safe Release, Don O'Melveny Gallery, West Hollywood, CA.

Scott directs the artist's film, "The Last of England" " a companion piece to his suite of paintings of the same title.

2002           

Exhibition: Hollywood Suite Paintings, O'Neill, Lysaght & Sun, Santa Monica

Exhibition: The Last of England, Denise Bibro Fine Art, New York City.

2003           

Exhibition: Flowers of the Heart, O'Neill, Lysaght & Sun, Santa Monica.

2004           

Book Cover: "The Last of England" (Oxford University Press)

Exhibition: "Still Life in Provence #3", Bobbie Greenfield Gallery, Santa Monica, CA.

2005           

Exhibition: Art Fair Miami

Exhibition: Cracks, Laurence Asher Gallery, Los Angeles with Sherry Brody

Screening: Nightcleaners at the Whitechapel Art Gallery, London

Book release: "Abstract Drawings or Nuts and Bolts" A book of drawings by James Scott.

2006           

Screening: "Nightcleaners" at the Tate Liverpool in England.

2007           

Screening: "Richard Hamilton" and "The Great Ice Cream Robbery" at the Tate Modern - London.

Screening: "Nightcleaners" at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles. CA.

2008

Starts the series of paintings, "The Birds".

Screening: "Richard Hamilton" as part of  'Richard Hamilton - Protest Pictures' at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Edinburgh, Scotland.  Curated by Victoria Miguel.

2009

Presented to HM The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the exhibition "William Scott in Ireland" at the FE McWilliam Art Gallery, Northern Ireland.