| Individual or organisational biography | Dick Scott-Stewart was born in the Cotswolds town of Painswick in 1948. Upon graduating from the London College of Printing, he practised as a freelance photographer, primarily working in black and white on various artistic and corporate projects.
In an interview with SLR Magazine, April 1983, Dick described himself as ‘a 6ft 2 voyeur’ and noted, ‘I love looking at things. Photography is just an excuse to meet interesting people. It is a passport to situations that I like to be involved in.’ This desire is demonstrated by Dick’s work, which documents a span of subjects and subcultures, providing intimate insights into fairgrounds, wrestling matches, teddy boys, punks and more.
Dick’s wife, Mog Scott-Stewart, noted that his ‘great respect for the people he photographed’ was a key principle of his photographic practice; his work eschews a sense of collaboration and camaraderie, whether the subject exists in the mainstream or the margins. Mog also identified his influences as Arbus, Avedon, Brassai, Brandt, Erwitt, Evans, Frank, Friedlander, Kertesz, Sandler, and Weegee.
Dick died in 2002 at the age of 54, after being diagnosed with cancer. |
| Custodial History | In 2017, the collection was donated by Dick Scott-Stewart’s wife, Mog, as a core collection selected from over 2,000 items. |