Shane Pierce Probes the Unseen with “Eerie Musings”
“Translating my artwork into words feels a bit unnatural. There’s a risk that something gets lost in translation,” says painter Shane Pierce before our interview. Many artists feel this way; that describing their work can be almost sacrilegious, that the best art lies within the indescribable and weighing down a feeling with words can rob the viewer of their own personal experience with a particular work that resonates. Explaining an image could break the illusive spell on a viewer weigh them down with preconceived notions, or at the very least be a distraction to a genuine experience.
Nevertheless, it’s a job of a publication like ours to try to probe a bit further, to unearth subtle intentions or points of discussion. So let’s ask Shane Pearce about his ten new paintings, entitled “Eerie Musings”, which goes on view at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica this Saturday. Here’s hoping that the rewards of attempting to “speak the unspeakable” will outweigh the existential consequences!
Mood seems to be such a large part of the paintings that you create. Do you imagine the paintings as a snapshot of a world, or a cinematic type of world, or are the paintings one-off images infused with a narrative?
Each painting is a fragment or moment of mystery, They capture not just a moment but an essence— teeming with movement and mystery beneath the surface. That is my intention. The narrative is woven into the shadows and of light. Each painting is a story that hopefully the viewer creates, a cinematic world frozen in time but alive with possibility and always mystery for the viewer to live in..
The lighting… and the shadows! Figures seem to emerge from the darkness… Do you plan out your lighting ahead of time or stage it with models or software?
Lighting is the narrator of the story I’m trying to tell. It’s not just about illuminating a scene, but about carving out spaces of mystery and revealing hidden truths. I often begin with a vision of how light should sculpt the figures, sometimes sketching rough ideas and thumbnails …always staying very basic. there’s always an element of improvisation, as the painting itself demands certain changes, guiding me to adjust the lighting to enhance the mood, to let the figures emerge as if they are being born from the very darkness that surrounds them, sculpting always, sculpting.
Each painting is a fragment or moment of mystery, They capture not just a moment but an essence…
Your work is quite painterly. Does your painting process involve layers of paint and glazing?
No, mainly it is a process of thought akin to “ start with the finish “ . I attempt to start each brush stroke as the finish. It is an economy of brushstrokes but it also has the added benefit of keeping the mystery alive, of not covering up the whole painting with half made marks, half decisions that start to hinder the original vision. The process of start with the finish allows me to help the problem of ‘overworking’. This does not mean I succeed all the time, but it is what I intend thru the works.
Can’t help but notice the businessman theme in your latest showing… This and your color palette evokes the covers of detective-themed pulp novels of the 1950s…
This is from my series of Nomads, it’s a figure of duality, embodying both the everyday and the mysterious. He is at once an everyman and a symbol, perhaps a detective of his own soul, navigating the noirish landscape of existence. Noir, yes noir I think of this word quite a lot.
Is the businessman featured in your paintings being stalked by his own mortality?
They have become known to me as my “nomads” – the dark traveler, I have created a book called Nomads as well. “a stranger comes to town” type themes. but honestly also just the darkness, regrets, fears and all the other garbage that we carry around. Hence the luggage. again suggesting dark narratives. Its probably my own darkness that I carry around which is why the male is painted more than the female. Indeed, the specter of mortality looms large over him. He is a man pursued not by a tangible foe, but by the inevitable decay of time. Thoughts, memories, mysteries. In this sense, he is every one of us, haunted by the passage of time and the unanswerable questions that lie at the end of our journey. I try.
Are blue flames hotter than red flames?
Yes, blue flames burn hotter than red ones, a fact that holds a certain visual poetry for me. Blue, often associated with coldness and calm, hides an intensity that is fierce and consuming. It’s a reminder that appearances can be deceiving, and that what burns hottest may not always be what appears most fiery to the eyes…the what burns twice as bright and all that.
He is every one of us, haunted by the passage of time and the unanswerable questions that lie at the end of our journey…
In “Heavy Soul,” we see the flame/glow focused on the figure’s clasped hands. Can you tell us a little about what is going insane inside the subject’s head?
“Heavy Soul” is a portrayal of inner turmoil, a battle between light and darkness within the mind. Again it is about time. The clasped hands suggest a desperate attempt to hold on, to contain the chaos that threatens to erupt. there is a storm of thoughts, fears, and regrets. The flame could be the spark, fragile flicker of self-awareness that is both illuminating and consuming. Again giving away so much as the opportunity to spoil something for a viewer who might think something far more beautiful about the piece.
It’s as though the figure has been jolted awake not just physically, but spiritually, confronted with a truth or a lie.
Do you have “go-to” favorite pulp illustrators that have inspired you?
No. It is more about living a long time and having these thoughts and feelings and a certain taste for what you like. I do love the old the pulp illustrators, but it is mostly a side step to what I am doing…maybe I do not notice how prevalent it is.
In “Bedside Manor,” a figure seems startled out of bed, so much so that their soul seems to be vibrating… Can you tell us about this mysterious painting?
“Bedside Manner” the moment when the boundary between reality and nightmare blurs. The figure is a visceral response to something unseen but deeply felt—a presence that shatters the calm of sleep. In the middle of the night when you wake up thinking you heard a loud sound. The vibration you mention is symbolic of the soul’s agitation perhaps. Again painting with the finish, each brushstroke adding to this vibration. It’s as though the figure has been jolted awake not just physically, but spiritually, confronted with a truth or a lie. Again the mystery and the viewer invited to come to a conclusion
What led to the themes that we see in your latest Copro Gallery showing taps into “Eerie Musings” ?
The themes emerged organically, born out of a deep fascination with the darker aspects of the human psyche. Each painting is a reflection of my own musings on these topics—expressions of the eerie undercurrents that flow beneath the surface of everyday life. The show is an invitation to explore these currents, to face the shadows that we often try to avoid, and to find your own meaning in the eeriness that pervades our existence.
“Eerie Musings”, Shane Pierce’s solo show opens at Copro Gallery in Santa Monica Saturday August 10th.
John Greenwood
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