Francisco Diaz Scotto

Francisco Diaz Scotto (b. 1986) is a painter and architect from Argentina. Diaz Scotto maintains a dual artistic practice of studio paintings on canvas alongside large scale public murals. His murals, which are related to his conventional architecture background but also serve as a stark departure, stem from the artist's perception of public space work as "urban acupuncture".  Most of Diaz Scotto's murals attempt to make light of areas that are usually ignored, some relegated from the irregular and non-inclusive urban designs. These murals begin not simply with a location or facade which operate as a canvas for his painting, but rather serve as an attempt to orient the viewer in creating a dialogue that is respectful of the immediate natural environment. The artist references local flora in both his murals and paintings, flora which he finds growing in the cracks of sidewalks or a facade of a mural's building or around his atelier's neighborhood. The artist believes that the cracks generated by deficient construction processes are a reflection of the human need to control space for a rational and autarkic use and that by taking the small plants that grow within these cracks Diaz Scotto utilizes his work as a mechanism to question modern societal methods and perceptions. In his atelier, Francisco applies these same mechanisms when creating a new body of studio work.  Using deeply personal reflection, the artist uses memories and emotions from his past roots as a missionary to create canvas paintings that represent a myriad of home scenes, outdoor jungles, twilight hours and the occasional house dog.