an artist out the cocoon: shea peterson

If you were to take the techniques and vision of Max Ernst, the poetry of late Miro, and the playfulnes of Paul Klee we would begin to understand the paintings of Shea Peterson. Add a core of Primitivist aesthetic and an eye that straddles the boundaries between the nonfigurative and semifigurative and you come a little closer to understanding Shea’s work. He’s an artist that seeks no more than to continuously create. His paintings lure you in with depth unfolding freely and the viewer realises there’s story upon story being told in each work.

As his wife and friend of mine, Xanthe, explains “He's prolific and free. Living with him I've become used to his compulsion to make art. It's not a choice to paint or create a piece it's a necessity. His process is crucial to his expression in context to the world around him and within him. I can see this in his pieces and I wonder if others can too.” After spending almost 3 years hidden in his cocoon. Shea is finally ready to showcase his work to the Sydney art scene and I am delighted to support his work.

“I feel like I've been true to my creative instinct and have not sold out to the dominant white wall aesthetic” explains Shea. Having moved to Sydney from Hawaii as an established artist three years ago his work offers something truly unique and testimony to the impressions of the life he’s led overseas.

Most of his work is acrylic and mixed media. He’s unashamed to experiment with college, frottage, automatism, aerography, and decalcomania. An abundance of works on paper, canvas, and found objects will be on display.

If you would like to also enjoy Shea's works, you are invited to have a conversation with him during his weeklong exhibit opening in Sydney on March 20th 6-9pm at M2 Art Gallery, Surry Hills, Sydney. Here is the facebook event and some really inspiring examples of his work.