The Spiritual and Biological in the works of Michael Scott

Eden Hell - Oil Painting by Michael Scott

Michael Scott’s poetry and prose explore a rich collaboration of the spiritual and biological. A qualified biologist and later artist, his perspectives on human advancement weave his real experiences with his philosophy on what it means to seek an existence beyond the one we are dealt in life. His works of 2055 (2010) and Collected Poems (2012) articulate Scott’s philosophies built on his experiences and interests over the years, of which is also reflected in his paintings and poetry in the archives of the Scott Creative Arts Foundation. Considering the current state of the world, Scott’s works that ambitiously span across time from the mythological past to the speculative future are often astoundingly appropriate for us almost fifteen years after they were first published.

In Scott’s speculative fiction novel, 2055, he adapts the themes of traditional Arthurian legend into a dystopian future, where “all men were mortally afflicted, as was the planet itself.” The medievalism comes in both mythological precedent for humanity’s afflictions, but also a plan for a future where the human population has become decimated by pandemics, famine, impotence, and war. Scott’s protagonist, Oswin, is also a biologist; but this hero, eager to surpass his worldly prowess, turns from science to poetry. When the world has gone mad and all of humanity’s efforts have only led to its near extinction, Oswin resorts to wandering and dreaming to think about how his earthly pursuits have led up to this point, seeking some purpose beyond trying to stay alive. 

The novel tackles the pessimistic feeling that one is at the end of history, that there cannot be anything after, or at least anything good for that matter. The struggles of the world are confirmed as expected facts of life which cannot be reversed, but 2055 is about what comes next for humanity. Scott’s passion for nature and its relationship to people brings a speculative panacea in human evolutionary development. The story culminates in the effort to modify human behaviour entirely, taking on forms of community, spiritually and biology to find a new future. The final moments of the epic even come to face with the eco-philosophical conflict that is the inverse correlation between the prowess of humans and the health of the world, as it ends with “the annihilation of virtually the entire human race to heal the world. Now evolution could try again”.

Scott’s love for art in spirituality and connection is also beautifully published in his poetry. His collected poems are full of examinations of the spiritual, the mystical, and the philosophical in response to internal strife. Exploring his poetry and art is like exploring a dream. His poem, Castle Stream, has a nostalgic tone in the style of Wordsworth, returning to a place from when he was young, “as I stand in memory”. He sees now that the places are all in him as memories, an existence beyond worldly prowess. In another poem, We’ll make God, Scott considers themes similar to 2055. The desire for a deity in an empty world so that humanity may prosper beyond its means. Concepts from biology are improved by spiritual intensity, where evolution becomes “not a Darwinian struggle, but a path of destiny”. Michael Scott effectively wrote his narrators often seeking the limitless potential of the mind, the spiritual, or the divine, when the corporeal body had already failed in the past.

The Scott Creative Arts Foundation is fortunate enough to have access to Michael Scott’s work and creative vision. The foundation explores the relationships of the spiritual and biological when it comes to art in response to nature, psychology, and the senses. The space of the foundation beautifully allows new artistic works to bring these ideas to life. With the gardens, the exhibition spaces, and the surrounding history of the county, SCAF can showcase Michael Scott’s themes where the boundaries of humanity and nature are emphasised and changed.

Written by Fred Upton  -  SCAF Intern