Artist Spotlight: Scott G. Brooks

Scott G. Brooks is originally from Flint, Mich., and currently lives and works in Washington, D.C. His subject matter ranges from simple portraiture to intricate narratives. In his paintings, he takes social, psychological, and political issues and injects them with a dark sense of humor. Anatomical distortions separate the figures from the photographic ideal, which gives him the freedom to create his own distorted reality. His work is described as twisted, offbeat, sentimental, and disturbing. In addition to exhibiting in galleries, he has also illustrated several children's books. His influences include Mad magazine, Disney, Saturday morning cartoons, and talking heads on cable news.

Why are you an artist and painter?
I started drawing when I was young. At some point I just realized that I would be an artist "when I grow up" — though at the time I didn't have any idea of what that meant other than making pictures. Today, I am compelled to work as an artist/painter. It's who I am and how I communicate. It's also just great fun to do.

What catches your eye?
Offbeat and odd things that occur naturally around us attract me, including this bat-shit crazy political atmosphere we're living in. The reality TV state of being seems so prevalent today. I look for the same qualities in the people I paint: offbeat and odd. Many of my models are burlesque performers. I love that they aren't "traditional models" and don't get too worked up about their looks or how I will portray them. They also have great outfits, which is something else that catches my eye.