Shelby Shadwell
Academic Professional, Drawing
University of Wyoming
sshadwel@uwyo.edu
www.shelbyshadwell.com
Laramie, Wyoming
Academic Professional, Drawing
University of Wyoming
sshadwel@uwyo.edu
www.shelbyshadwell.com
Laramie, Wyoming
| “Economy,” charcoal and pastel on paper, 22" x 30,” 2008 |
Artist Statement
Although I spend a great deal of time and
effort on verisimilitude, there is nothing very
remarkable about the images by
themselves. The compositions are
formally conventional representations of
day-to-day life. I use a traditional painterly
notation to title my work, still life or
landscape, to identify the contextual mode
of the painting, and with kitten or with train
to identify the presence of a given subject in
the painting.
The catalyst for the conceptual content in
my work is the interaction between an
image and its title. Unlike more traditional
paintings, I deny the explicit representation
of the subject in an image, creating an
expectation but denying presence and thus
establishing a conflict. The tension in the
pictures is about what you cannot see, at
least with your eyes.
I invite viewers to contemplate the
perceived disparity between image and
title. Sometimes this means completing
the picture mentally, visualizing the invisible
spaces that exist outside the picture plane.
Sometimes this means evaluating one’s
own role as a viewer in relation to the
context and subject of a given piece. I
chose to make work in which the title acts
as more than annotation, but rather as a
component which, in conjunction with an
image, facilitates the dialogue.
Epistemological and psychological
questions are the impetus for my work.
Although we are fallible beings, it remains
psychologically difficult for us to
acknowledge the inherent uncertainty in our
actions and beliefs. Whether walking down
a deserted street at night or encountering
artwork that challenges our sensibilities,
ambiguity leads to anxiety, an emotion that
tends to further distort our perceptions as
individuals and societies. I selected my
working strategies to confront viewers with
this conflict, to investigate different
conclusions and perhaps even to embrace
uncertainty.
Although I spend a great deal of time and
effort on verisimilitude, there is nothing very
remarkable about the images by
themselves. The compositions are
formally conventional representations of
day-to-day life. I use a traditional painterly
notation to title my work, still life or
landscape, to identify the contextual mode
of the painting, and with kitten or with train
to identify the presence of a given subject in
the painting.
The catalyst for the conceptual content in
my work is the interaction between an
image and its title. Unlike more traditional
paintings, I deny the explicit representation
of the subject in an image, creating an
expectation but denying presence and thus
establishing a conflict. The tension in the
pictures is about what you cannot see, at
least with your eyes.
I invite viewers to contemplate the
perceived disparity between image and
title. Sometimes this means completing
the picture mentally, visualizing the invisible
spaces that exist outside the picture plane.
Sometimes this means evaluating one’s
own role as a viewer in relation to the
context and subject of a given piece. I
chose to make work in which the title acts
as more than annotation, but rather as a
component which, in conjunction with an
image, facilitates the dialogue.
Epistemological and psychological
questions are the impetus for my work.
Although we are fallible beings, it remains
psychologically difficult for us to
acknowledge the inherent uncertainty in our
actions and beliefs. Whether walking down
a deserted street at night or encountering
artwork that challenges our sensibilities,
ambiguity leads to anxiety, an emotion that
tends to further distort our perceptions as
individuals and societies. I selected my
working strategies to confront viewers with
this conflict, to investigate different
conclusions and perhaps even to embrace
uncertainty.
| “Economy,” charcoal and pastel on paper, 22" x 30,” 2008 |
| “Economy,” charcoal and pastel on paper, 22" x 30,” 2008 |
| “Economy,” graphite, charcoal and pastel on black paper, 22" x 30," 2008 |
| “Economy,” graphite, charcoal and pastel on black paper, 22" x 30," 2008 |
| “Economy,” graphite, charcoal and pastel on black paper, 22" x 30," 2008 |
