F. Scott Hess

Where does personal story end and national history begin? Los Angeles artist F. Scott Hess (born 1955) explores this question in The Paternal Suit, which consists of over 100 paintings, prints, and objects created by Hess, but presented as legitimate historical artifacts relating to his family, and supported by photographs, documents and historical ephemera. Each object and artwork bears an artist’s name and provenance, and has been executed in the style of the century from which it supposedly originates. Sculpture, furniture, toys, newspaper clippings, historic photographs, guns and costumes advance the story. Hess does not claim authorship for the works, instead referring to himself as the Director of the “F. Scott Hess Family Foundation.”