Alan Shields facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Alan Shields
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Alan Shields in 1984
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| Born | 4 February 1944 |
| Died | 13 December 2005 (aged 61) |
| Nationality | American |
| Alma mater | Kansas State University |
| Known for | Paintings, sculptures, prints, works on paper |
| Style | Pattern and decoration |
| Spouse(s) | Maria Caccese |
| Partner(s) | Marla Gagnum |
Alan J. Shields (February 4, 1944 – December 13, 2005) was an American artist. He was known for his unique paintings, sculptures, and prints. For a while in the 1980s, he also worked as a boat operator, even becoming a ferryboat captain.
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Early Life and Learning
Alan Shields was born in Herington, Kansas. He grew up on a farm, and his family had been farmers for generations. He often used ideas from his family and farm life in his art. He watched his mother and two younger sisters making quilts and doing embroidery. Living on a farm meant being smart about using what you had, and that's how Alan learned these crafts himself.
He went to Kansas State University from 1963 to 1966. There, he studied both civil engineering and art. In his art classes, he learned a lot from the work of Buckminster Fuller, who designed dome-shaped buildings. Alan thought that if Fuller's domes became popular, there wouldn't be flat walls for paintings. After college, he attended Summer Theater Workshops at the University of Maine.
His Art Career
In 1968, Alan moved to New York City. Soon after, he started showing his art at the Paula Cooper Gallery. In 1970, he began making his special three-dimensional, two-sided paintings. These artworks were very different from what other New York artists were doing at the time. Many artists were focused on "minimalism," which used very simple shapes and colors.
Alan's art was bright, colorful, and had lots of texture. He spent a lot of time making each piece. He loved using different materials and showing how they felt. Unlike the minimalists, Alan really valued traditional crafts. Sewing and adding beads were important parts of his art. In 1971, his work was even featured on the cover of Artforum magazine.
Alan often used a sewing machine in his art. He would draw a grid on the back of a canvas. Then, he would sew over the lines, using colored thread on the bottom and white thread on top. This made the colors appear on the front of the canvas. He saw painting and sewing as very similar ways to create art.
In 1971, Alan bought a house on Shelter Island, New York. He moved his studio there in 1972. He decided to raise his family, grow his own food, and even became a commercial fisherman and a licensed ferryboat captain. By 1983, he had a license to operate boats. He eventually became a captain for the North Ferry Company, connecting Shelter Island to Greenport, New York. He turned a greenhouse at his home into his art studio. He also started focusing on making prints and paper art. In 1973, he received a special award called the Guggenheim Fellowship and traveled to South America for three months.
His love for fishing began to influence his art. He used fishing items, like ball bearing swivels and fishing line, in his three-dimensional artworks that hung from the ceiling.
Important Artworks
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One of Alan Shields' famous works is J + K (1972). This piece uses strong industrial webbing and canvas for its frame. Inside, there's a network of fishing line decorated with beads. This artwork reminds people of the "counterculture" style of the 1970s, which included things like tie-dye and love beads.
The New York Times newspaper said that Shields "reinvented painting." He didn't use traditional wooden frames for his canvases. Instead, he combined painted canvas with other materials like fishing nets, rope, and industrial items. J + K looks like a "cat's cradle" of beaded fishing line. The way the fishing lines curve, weighted by the beads, can make you think of ocean waves.
Art Shows
Alan Shields had many art shows throughout his life. After his first show in 1969, he continued to exhibit at the Paula Cooper Gallery until 1991, and then again in 2013 and 2019. His art was shown in galleries across the U.S., Europe, South America, and Asia.
In 1973, he had a show with another artist, Richard Artschwager, at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago. His work was also shown at the Museum of Modern Art, Rio de Janeiro in Brazil in 1976, and at MoMA PS1 in New York in 1978.
In 1983, a big show called 1968-1983: The Work of Alan Shields traveled to several museums, including the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art. This show looked back at 15 years of his art. Later, in 2016, another important show called Alan Shields: Protracted Simplicity (1966-1985) was held at the Aspen Art Museum.
Where to See His Art
You can find Alan Shields' artwork in many public collections around the world. Some of these include:
- Ackland Art Museum
- Akron Art Museum
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Dallas Museum of Art
- Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden
- Metropolitan Museum of Art
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
- Museum of Modern Art
- National Gallery of New Zealand
- Nelson-Atkins Museum
- Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
- Tate Britain
- Walker Art Center
- Whitney Museum of American Art
Personal Life
Alan Shields had two children, a daughter and a son, from his first marriage. Later in his life, his partner was Marla Gagnum.
Death
Alan Shields passed away peacefully in his sleep at his home on Shelter Island on December 13, 2005.
