For the Balelatina HOT ART FAIR 2008, Michael Scoggins is presenting a new series of his signature drawings on large blue-lined spiral bound notebook paper. Scoggins uses simple materials used in childhood such as graphite, crayon, and marker to illustrate more complex issues concerning American politics as well as the artist’s own personal and emotional life. This Savannah College of Art and Design alumnus (and member of MoMA‘s permanent collection) has met universal acclaim due to his clever ability to present adult issues through a child’s perspective and medium, thus making these issues less taboo and forcing the viewers to examine and reflect upon their own experiences.

Scoggins addresses war, romantic break-ups and crushes, mood swings, and mental disturbances in an incredibly appealing and accessible manner. The enlarged notebook paper (67″ x 51″) provides the canvas for his sketches, with their size lending importance to the work. Some of the artist’s works replicate school day ephemera (graded math tests, notes to friends, doodles), most deal with more adult topics, all while placing the viewer in the sometimes uncomfortable position of voyeur. The tattered ends and crumpled up appearance of the paper make us feel as if we have come across something we are not supposed to be reading, but the immersive nature of the piece immediately contradicts this notion. All of the works are emotionally charged, presenting the viewer with anger, humiliation, and of course, nostalgia.