Double murderer Scott Watson’s art to be exhibited
Thursday, 16 May 2024
Scott Watson – convicted of murdering Marlborough friends Olivia Hope and Ben Smart – will have paintings and carvings he has created during 26 years in prison exhibited at a Canterbury gallery.
Watson has always insisted he is innocent of the murders and his case will be reconsidered by the Court of Appeal in June.
His conviction for killing Hope, 17, and Smart, 21, who disappeared after a New Year’s party at Furneaux Lodge in the Marlborough Sounds in January 1998, remains one of the country’s most controversial verdicts.
Throughout his time in prison, Watson has continued to paint, and learnt carving when instruction was available.
Now, the Whakaraupō Carving Centre Trust, which has helped Watson with his work, is holding an exhibition at its Lyttelton gallery, Te Whare o Rei/Rei Gallery, to showcase Watson’s art.
The exhibition, “in the public eye”, begins on May 24, and will run for a month.
It will include up to 15 paintings and eight carvings, spanning more than 20 years.
Watson gifted his work to friends and family who visited him, and the items on display would not be for sale.
Many were created using materials destined for the dump, which Watson rescued, such as cupboard doors, and old bedsheets spread over wooden frames as a canvas.
Whakaraupō Carving Centre trustee Tahu Stirling said he knew there could be some negative reaction to an exhibition of art by a prisoner serving a sentence for two murders.
“We’re aware of the case, and acknowledge all those who’ve been affected by it.
“And the community is quite challenged by it, I guess.
“But for us, we want to promote art in itself, and it can be exploratory, and challenging, and that’s what art is all about in our society - to make us think about where we stand, and viewpoints, which can be opposing to what’s out there.”
The carving centre was a non-profit charity, which ran courses for many people, including young people, and Māori and non-Māori prisoners who were seeking to reintegrate back into their communities.
“It’s all very well locking people up,” said Stirling. “But they will be released eventually, and they need to be able to move back into society and take up a new role. And we feel our job is to help them in that process, through the arts.”
“Over the last 26 years Scott’s been incarcerated, he’s been doing a lot of developing of his art and carving, and we felt there was a story there. And we wanted to support that story being released out into the community.
“And it’s focusing on the art work, and I think people will get a different perspective of an artist when you look at their art, and the narrative that goes with it.”
Stirling said art could provide a valuable pathway for prisoners to take them beyond concrete walls and razor wire fences, and should be encouraged in our jails.
The families of Hope and Smart were contacted by The Post, but did not respond.
Stirling acknowledged the pain and sorrow the victims’ families had been through since 1998.
“And I guess we’re trying to ensure we do this respectfully and sensitively, while also working towards the aims of our trust and centre, which is essentially upholding the mana of mahi toi - the creative arts.”
He hoped people would approach the exhibition positively, rather than have a knee-jerk reaction to the name Scott Watson, and think he should never be able to express himself.
Watson’s sister, Sandy, said art had been an important part of her brother’s time in prison.
“It’s an opportunity to show what people can do, when they have time on their hands, and to be creative, and it’s an outlet for how you’re feeling about things.
“And he’s used bits of things that would otherwise be rubbish, to make something beautiful. It’s a great achievement, under the circumstances.”
She had a couple of her brother’s earlier paintings, and he had carved waka huia (treasure containers) for her two daughters.
Watson’s father, Chris, also has several of his son’s paintings at his Picton home, and said he took naturally to carving, having done considerable woodwork on the boats he had built before being convicted.
He hadn’t painted art works before being sent to prison, but had received some lessons while there.
“He’s not had the opportunity to do much else, but he’s had the opportunity to do that.”
Watson isn’t the first prisoner to be known for his artwork.
Bassett Rd machine gun murderer Ronald Jorgensen’s paintings were sought after and sold for considerable sums.
Watson’s appeal against his conviction is set down for five days from June 10.
He is also due to appear before the Parole Board for the fifth time, within the next fortnight.
Corrections said it was not involved in the upcoming exhibition and not previously aware of it.
“This prisoner has not participated in any structured art programme while at Christchurch Men’s Prison.
“We acknowledge it has the potential to cause harm and trauma to victims, and now we have been made aware, we will be contacting registered victims of this person to inform them of the exhibition.”