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WorkIllustration

Scott Dessert’s oddball collages celebrate the 'Gods of London'

We cannot resist anything collage-based, and the oddball and frequently hilarious work of illustrator and animator Scott Dessert is no exception. Originally from Rouen, France, Mr Dessert (what a wonderful name) is now living and working in London, using collage, illustration and animation, across projects including prints, installations and books.

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A pigeon wearing a hard hat and orange safety vest stands against architectural blueprints and a brick wall, titled "Builder" by Scott Dessert

The project that we found particularly pleasing is his Gods of London series. The works were shown in an “interactive” exhibition in east London’s Shoreditch which “explored the interaction of handcraft and technology, static and motion,” according to the illustrator. Visitors could interact with each piece through a QR code that linked to the animation of the artwork.

But even in their static form, these works more than speak for themselves, providing a sweetly humorous snapshot of the multifarious characters that make London what it is – if those characters had the heads of birds, foxes or Jamie Oliver, that is.

A fox-headed figure in a red jacket and black hat holds a trumpet and rifle whilst riding a rearing black horse, surrounded by butterflies and small cherub-like creatures, with the word "Sport" in an ornate frame above
Multi-headed anatomical figure with exposed muscles and organs, wearing blue robes, flanked by ornate golden urns and anatomical drawings, from Scott Dessert's Gods of London series
Elephant wearing a judge's red robes and gold trim, holding a document, surrounded by law books, a clock and ornate baroque furnishings against a striped pink background
Collage figure dressed as a Beefeater guard with a bird's head wearing a tall black hat, large black wings and holding an axe against a sky background
Three-headed dog worker wearing hard hat and high-visibility vest emerging from London Underground train with maintenance equipment
Collage artwork featuring a figure with a blue mechanical skull head surrounded by speakers, vintage audio equipment, neon signs and wiring, from Scott Dessert's Gods of London series
A figure in a black suit and white shirt with a deer head wearing a jewelled crown sits cross-legged on red carpet, holding objects in white-gloved hands, beneath ornate golden framing labelled "Office
Fish-headed chef in white uniform preparing fish at a counter beneath a neon Fish & Chips sign, surrounded by cooking utensils and ingredients
Muscular bodybuilder with a cow's head surrounded by pink letters spelling GYM, with winged figures and supplement bottles arranged around an urban backdrop
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