Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Rankin.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I was born in California and moved to Vermont when I was 9. A series of early cross-country trips influenced the work I make today. I was often the navigator on road trips and the views out of airplane windows sparked my interest in the macro and micro quality of the landscape. I received a BFA from Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. Although I had a foundation in fine arts my focus at the time was in design. After graduation, I moved to California to work as a graphic designer by day and at night I created interactive “net art” These were personal projects incorporating animation and sound. At that time I was inspired by Carl Jung and the “Process of Individuation” and the “Self”. I was literally moving across country again and moving through a difficult time in my life. I used maps as a metaphor for searching and understanding and I was gaining a sense of Self and an awareness of my place in the world. After a few years in San Francisco, I realized what I really wanted to do was be an artist. With an innate desire to get off the computer and work with my hands, I returned to Maine and commited to focussing as much time as possible developing my work. I worked part-time as a pattern cutter for a fashion designer. I created templates and learned how to give dimension and form to fabric. It was where I developed the cutting, folding, layering and sewing techniques that I use in my work today. Following a one year residency at the Roswell Artist-in-Residence Program in New Mexico, I decided to extend my stay to explore geological features of the southwest and conduct research for future projects. I currently divide my time between Maine and New Mexico.
Please tell us about your art.
For the past 10 years, I have focused my practice around using maps as material. I have worked in a variety of media but maps continue to inspire me. I have yet to tire of their inherent beauty and the potential meaning that can be derived from them. They elicit our memories and can reference the physical and psychological simultaneously.
I create installations, collages and sculptures that use the language of maps to explore connections among geological and biological processes, patterns in nature, geometry and anatomy. My process is a delicate balance of control, chance, and repetition. I intricately cut, wrinkle, layer, fold and paint maps to produce revised versions that often become like the terrains they represent. These new geographies suggest the potential for a broader landscape and invite viewers to examine their relationships with each other and the world we share.
Maps are are the everyday metaphors that speak to the fragile and transitory state of our lives and our surroundings. Rivers shift their course, glaciers melt, volcanoes erupt, boundaries change both physically and politically. The only true constant is change.
Choosing a creative or artistic path comes with many financial challenges. Any advice for those struggling to focus on their artwork due to financial concerns?
My only advice is to keep finding ways to make your work even if it’s just an hour a day. Dedicate as much time as possible to being in the studio. If you don’t have a studio, carve out a small space to work even if it’s at your kitchen table. The idea is to keep working no matter what. Once you have a body of work together, document it and start applying for residencies, grants and exhibitions.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Recently, I exhibited my work at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art in Rockland, Maine and Drive-By Projects in Watertown, MA. At this time, I do not have any upcoming exhibitions in New England. However, I am curating the MECA Alumni Triennial at the ICA at Maine College of Art in Portland, Maine. The exhibition is titled Curious Nature and will open August 3, 2018.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shannonrankin.com
- Instagram: shannonchristinerankin
Getting in touch: BostonVoyager is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
