Commissioned by a friend who wanted something for his World War II collection. The medium was provided and while the imagery was printed dark, it still reveals the various elements of WWII time period in the early 40's. Unfortunately, I did not capture the print date for this piece and to be frank, I rushed it... but my friend liked it, so there's that. 8-)
Shane uses aged reference books deemed too have no value, like medical guides, journals, encyclopedias to bring new life to books that would otherwise be discarded. Glue seals the pages in their original printed location decided by the publisher, leaving the page revelations to the artist imagination. Layers are removed to reveal images randomly. With no plan, the artist simply finds an interesting image, carves around the photo, diagram or drawing and adds cut lines, insets and other random elements to provide an artistic view into the past, the book and the pages as they were intended by the printer. Exposing the images in their original form, location and placement on the page gives the viewer a greater appreciation of printed material from a gilded age, when print media was becoming mass produced and information becoming readily available prior to todays digital format. Each page is carved delicately with stainless steel hardened medical scalpels to create a three dimensional affect.
By using old discarded printed material, Shane brings new life to an item that would normally be destined to the trash bin, landfill or growing mold in some attack or basement.
