The Tree of Life 1958 - 1959

Editor: Here we have "The Tree of Life" by Scottie Wilson, a work held at the Tate. It strikes me as both whimsical and carefully constructed. What can you tell me about the imagery and its cultural context? Curator: Wilson, an outsider artist, often populated his works with these fantastical creatures. Consider how his lack of formal training, combined with post-war anxieties, allowed him to create this uniquely personal visual language, almost a rejection of established artistic norms. Does that shift your initial reading? Editor: It does! Knowing he was self-taught really changes my perception; it feels even more like a raw expression. Curator: Precisely. His art becomes less about adhering to tradition and more about creating a world entirely his own, reflecting a desire for autonomy in a rapidly changing society. Editor: That's fascinating, I hadn’t considered that. Thanks for pointing out the social implications of his artistic choices.