English
Deutsch
The British artist Shawn Stipling, born 1967 in Chester, Great Britain, studied photography at the University of Wolverhampton. His works, he says about them himself, are often of sparse content. He reduces the elements he uses until only what is ‘active’ remains. He describes this reduction as essential, because it not only allows for better control of each of these elements, but also – as a crucial aspect – excludes any error through ‘conscious choice’.
Precision also has a function for Stipling, because it emphasizes that even the smallest details, e.g. of a millimeter or less, are intentional and not random. The close observer also recognizes that every nuance is well-considered by the artist and not the result of luck. Shawn Stipling lives and works near Cambridge. The artist is represented by galleries in Germany, the Netherlands and the USA*. His current solo exhibition in Berlin Varying Ideas of Almost is to visit until February, 22nd, 2020 at Galerie Pugliese Levi (Auguststraße 62, 10117 Berlin-Mitte).
Shawn, where were you born and where did you study?
I was born in Chester, in the north west of England, in 1967. I studied Photography at the University of Wolverhampton from 1986–9.
What are you thinking about at the moment; what are you up to right now?
I am currently thinking about scale. Up until now I have focused on smaller works which have required the audience to view them at quite close range. Whether these have been the slightly larger works on card or the smaller panel paintings, they have all used minute but distinct details to encourage the viewer to move closer to the work. The intimacy created by this closeness contrasts with their initial austere appearance and is the key to how they function as paintings. Increasing the size however, changes everything. Working at a larger scale opens up all kinds of …
Read the interview with Shawn Stipling further on DEEDS.WORLD
Image caption: Shawn Stipling 2018
