Quick Facts
Biography
Scarlett Raven is a British painter born in England in 1986.
Early Life and Education
Raven attended Central St Martins where she studied fine art. During Scarlett's second year of study she secured her first solo exhibition in the Cork Street Gallery.
Career
Raven began as a fine artist choosing paint and canvas as her primary medium, but now identifies as an Augmentist. She paints impressionistically, but uses augmented reality to reveal a richer experience behind the creation of each painting. Raven's original works have been purchased by notable personalities including Orlando Bloom, Take That band member Mark Owen, Jim Beech manager of rock group Queen and many more. Grammy award winning singer Duffy has said of Raven's work: "'For me Scarlett Raven is one of the most exciting emerging artists. Her effortless femininity, so romantic and brave - gallant and beautiful. Her piece 'The Lovers' hangs proud in my heart. I am a big fan.''
Raven's approach has developed a body of workthat takes the visual element of a painting beyond the canvas through the use of Augmented Reality. Augmented Reality allows an immersive experience of her art. It enables Raven to document the creative journey and offers a new method of artistic expression. The concept Raven has pioneered has been described as bridging a gap between digital and tangible art and she is now considered by many as the World’s First Augmented Reality Fine Artist.
Raven currently works in partnership with Castle Galleries
Augmentism
What is Augmentism?
A nascent movement that aims to merge paint with pixels. Augmentism offers an artist the ability to express their creativity, experience of life and spectrum of emotions through a multi-layered process that uses a range of mediums, technologies and art forms e.g. augmented reality, digital photography, painting, music, and animation.
In 2012 Raven used her body as a canvas to create a stop-motion film, the film documented her painting process. Speaking on the film Raven said she "liked the idea that art in analogue form could embrace a digital medium."
Raven is mentored and managed by digital artist Marc Marot, Marot was the first to encourage Raven to develop the initial concept further and explore the idea of using Augmented Reality in her paintings. Since adopting the process people can now stand in front of Raven's paintings and use technology to interact with the physical canvas.
Raven embeds a number of inputs into the artwork, at first physically with paint, then digitally using a variety of techniques. The full experience of the paintings can then be unlocked by using the Blippar app. To produce an Augmented Reality painting it takes tens of thousands of images, overlaid and layered.
Creating an Augmented Reality painting is a process that is constantly evolving and growing more complex, incorporating different techniques such as blue screen, time-lapse, stop-motion and sound tracks.
Raven has said exploring the route of Augmented Reality has changed the way she works immeasurably, commenting: "The process has evolved my relationship with art forever."
How an Augmented Reality Painting Works
The layers beneath Raven's paintings are accessed using the Blippar app. Blippar is one of a selection of technology companies that make Augmented Reality possible. This technology delivers a capability that makes immersive art accessible to mobile device users. Raven's motive behind using Augmentism is driven by her want to encourage people to engage with artwork beyond the canvas and beyond the gallery.
Exhibitions
The Danger Tree Greenwich, London 2016
In 2012, Raven’s father, Raphael Ravenscroft, visited France and travelled to the location of The Somme.
He visited the The Danger Tree, a feature which marked the spot where, in 1916, troops from The Newfoundlanders—part of the 29th British Division – gathered for shelter on the opening day of the battle of The Somme. The tree marks the spot where many of the Newfoundlanders lost their lives.
Ravenscroft took a memento of soil from the ground where The Danger Tree once stood. When Ravenscroft died, Raven made the same journey to the The Danger Tree which inspired the 2016 exhibition.
Raven has said: “I felt an enormous loss. I also felt a huge connection, through my father, with that part of history. That became the catalyst for The Danger Tree exhibition. I wanted to draw attention to the humanity behind the horror. It is my interpretation of a devastating, yet also touching, part of human history.”
The exhibition features ten oil on canvas paintings, each triggers augmented reality layers. These integrated elements include photographs, audio recordings, text, animated graphics, archive film, music and sound effects.
Queen Themed The Tabernacle, London 2016
The Eleventh Hour Castle Gallery, Mayfair 2014
Summer Exhibition Castle Gallery, Mayfair 2014
Summer Solstice West Bank Gallery, Art Below, London 2014
20/21 International Art Fair Royal College of Art, London 2014
Scape View Gallery, Bristol 2015
Art of Angel The Candid Arts Trust, London 2014
Flight Hay Hill Gallery, London 2012
Paint The Print House Gallery, London 2012
The Seduction of Paint Rollo Contemporary Art, London 2009
Khulla Dhoka, Open Door Exhibition The Royal Over-Seas League, London 2008
Oversubscribed Lorem Ipsum Gallery, London 2007
Nature V Man The Troubadour Gallery, London 2007
Mind - The Mental Health Charity
Mental health charity MIND helped Scarlett through a difficult period in her life. She created and donated an oil & mixed media AR painting called "One In Four" for them to auction. The layers beneath this work tell the story of Scarlett's battle with anxiety, a battle millions of people fight on a daily basis.