The Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition at York St Mary’s features eight shortlisted artists in the categories of Photographic and Digital, Three Dimensional Design and Sculpture, Painting and Drawing and Video, Installation and Performance. Also on show are the works of 92 artists from the Art Prize longlist, showcased on monitors within the gallery.

Longlisted artist Michelee Scott was selected for her photographic piece Route 66-A-Series. Her fascination with photography is a natural extension of her intense interest in the world around her; she is recognised for her ability to capture the extraordinary in the everyday, and her work resides in private and public collections around the world.

The inspiration behind this piece was the drive along the iconic Route 66, and the challenge was to travel as far as possible in one day. The journey began in San Diego, California and ended in Seligman, Arizona. On the return drive, Scott made the decision to photograph as much as she could. The payoff for this 435-mile traverse was a series of photographs that are pure desert Americana.

The church in Route 66-A-Series was shot in Amboy, California, amid the blowing sands of the Mojave Desert. The tilted steeple and tumbleweed instil the image with an air of abandonment, and with sunset rapidly approaching, a lost, melancholy feeling sets in.

To see more of Michelee Scott’s work visit www.mscott-photography.com.

Aesthetica Art Prize Exhibition, York St Mary’s, Castlegate, York, YO1 9RN. Free Admission: Open daily 10am – 5pm until 22 June. For more information visit www.aestheticamagazine.com.

Credits
1. Michelee Scott, Route 66-A-Series. Courtesy of the artist.