Last night Scott Gorham of Thin Lizzy presented just some of his amazing artwork to an audience of the UK’s top Rock media and luminaries such as Joey Tempest of Europe and Luke Morley of Thunder.
Scott explained he has been interested in art his whole life. One day in Amsterdam, in the eighties when on tour with Thin Lizzy around the time of the Chinatown or Black Rose album, he saw an art show that made a real impression on him. He went back to the hotel with some pads and pencils and began to draw. But he kept the works hidden from everyone, not even showing them to Phil Lynott, not knowing what other people’s reaction would be. He just knew he found it extremely therapeutic. He loved touring, which was exciting to him, but drawing was a way to deal with the nonstop pressure by providing some time when he could just be alone with the art away from all the scrutiny. And he found art strangely compelling, as if he could not stop until he was done.
As far as subject matter goes Scott was influenced by the first movie he was allowed to go to the cinema to see alone: ‘The Forbidden Planet’. The poster looked cool and he found that the film did not disappoint. At 7 years old he remembers to this day seeing the claws, teeth, eyes and feet of the usually invisible monster when it was hung up on an electric fence. It turned him into a “Science Fiction Guy” even to this day. He has never forgotten that experience which has influenced his art.
Scott is fascinated by the fact that UFO sightings have been reported back to the Thirties. ‘Curiosity’ references the fact that alien beings might be watching us and he hopes they want to be friends, although he is not naïve about possible consequences.
‘Apocalypse’ reflects a view of how bad things could get for us. The black cross behind the pestilent world indicating that “God has left the building”. He feels the extra terrestrials might have experience to help us. However, in a private chat he told me he does plan his art before execution and does not channel it from any higher source, extra terrestrial or otherwise.
Scott is also curious about the human race and created ‘The Missing Link’ about twenty years ago after watching a documentary about the evolution of man and learning that there is a transitional period that is a bit of a mystery. In Scott’s imagination he saw the face of one of our ancestors, waiting enmeshed in the ground to be discovered.
‘The Fanatic’ was drawn after attending a football match with Phil Lynott when the passion of Newcastle United fans was so intense it gave Scott an insight into what it means to be a real fan.
I think my favourite is ‘Free Speech?’, a recent drawing that questions the role of social media and has the character of a warning.
‘Pain’ is possibly the most personal work depicting the pain of migraines that Scott suffered from 1978 till he left Thin Lizzy, although never on tour. They would appear in the down time between shows.
Scott admitted that he is nervous to introduce his art to the world. When asked how he would describe himself he made everyone laugh by saying a “low life scumbag guitar player who likes to draw”.
His wife found the artwork under his bed and instantly realised that it should be shown to the world. One piece was shown to fans three years ago and got a fantastic reaction confirming the view that there was real interest in the work. Another work was released for charity and can be purchased on a T-shirt. Finally six pieces of the artwork have been released as prints that can be purchased. They are on display at the Soho Sanctum hotel for a very limited period and can be viewed on ScottGorhamWorld.com, the web site launched today to host the art.
Dawn Osborne