shawn saumell
overview works about exhibitions
selected works
About the Artist
|
Shawn Saumell is an ALAANA artist born in New York and currently lives and works in Dallas. He received an MFA from Lesley University College of Arts and Design fka The Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University, BFA from Texas Woman’s University, magna cum laude, and an AA from Collin College, cum laude.
Saumell's work has been featured in over 230 exhibitions worldwide and has won many international awards including, but not limited to:"First Place," "Director's Choice," "Photographer of the Year," "Best of Biennial," "100 Best International," "Top 50 MFA Painters in America," "Top 25 International Fine Artists," and "Best of Show." He has had a recent solo exhibition at the Mesquite Arts Center, Mesquite, TX [2024]; and recent juried exhibitions at the Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY [2024] and The Patterson-Appleton Arts Center Gough Gallery, Denton, TX [2024]; as well as recent group exhibitions at MASS MoCA, North Adams, MA [2024], Arts Fort Worth, Fort Worth, TX [2024], and Rochester Contemporary Art Center, Rochester, NY [2024]. Shawn’s work has been selected by: 4heads Art Board,Governors Island Art Fair ArtSlant Curatorial Team, ARTslant Blue Mitchell, Diffusion Magazine Chrissie Iles, Whitney Museum of American Art Christiane Paul, Whitney Museum of American Art Christy Karpinski, F-STOP Magazine Cindy D. Rachofsky, The Rachofsky House Cory Hilz, Lensbaby Cris Worley, Cris Worley Gallery Darren Ching, Klompching Gallery Editors, Artist Portfolio Magazine Elizabeth Spungen, The Print Center, Philadelphia Enrique Fernández-Cervantes, Dallas Office of Cultural Affairs Holly Johnson, Holly Johnson Gallery Hugo Martínez Rapari, Mulafoco Museum Jason Landry, Panopticon Gallery Jeremy Strick, Nasher Sculpture Center John Pomara, Artist Joyce Goss,The Goss Michael Foundation Julia Dolan, Curator of Photography at the Portland Art Museum Keith Carter, Artist Laura Moya, Photolucida Lollie Thompkins, Booker T. Washington Marty Walker, Marty Walker Gallery Matthew Gamber, Big Red & Shiny Magazine Rex Bruce, LACDA Los Angeles Center for Digital Art Rita Aida Gonzalez, LACMA Los Angeles County Museum of Art Robert and Shana ParkeHarrison, Artists Sarah Cash, Bechhoefer Curator of American Art at the Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C Sergio Gomez, Zhou B Art Cente Stephen Perloff, The Photo Review Susan Swihart, L.A. Photo Curator Tere Romo, Mexican Museum of San Francisco and MACLA Terri Provencal, Patron Magazine The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards Tim Slowinski, Direct Art Magazine His work is in the permanent collection of the Boston Public Library, Boston, MA; The State of New Mexico, NM; the Limner Gallery, Hudson, NY; Shah Alam Gallery, Malaysia; Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO; Brooklyn Art Library, Brooklyn, NY; Carrington Coleman, Dallas, TX; Dallas College, Dallas, TX; and Independent Financial, McKinney, TX. |
Artist Statement
|
I find it interesting how various humans may have different perceptions of the same action, place, and time. It’s as if we have unique lenses of perception. We all seem to have our own individual realities reciprocating between our senses and memories. I find myself searching for what is real. How do(or don’t) humans coexist and yet have different experiences, perceptions, and recollections? What is real, physical reality versus our experience and perception, or something beyond our consciousness? How are we different physically, mentally, historically, and genetically? How can we shed our differences, or can we? How may we see through what makes us to discover what is and whom we are?
Through my art, I explore the physical versus mental. Objects versus ideas. Ideas through objects. The object of ideas. Objects as conduits for ideas or image/object as a means of understanding something beyond the familiar, from the familiar. It isn’t what it is and is what it isn’t. In my work, I primarily repurpose found objects from nature and human-made. These mundane materials are usually banal, overlooked, and of no monetary value. The objects are removed from their original context and assembled and sculpted in constructed environments. Photography is used in a nontraditional manner, as to not point and record physical reality but rather to use the medium as a tool of creativity to produce unique imagery of the mind, thoughts, ideas, dreams, and concepts. Where did we come from and where are we going? How can we save what’s left of our present and preserve our future? How may we grow beyond ignorance, yet live in happy healthy bliss? What is to become of us and might we learn our individual purposes, as well as our collective purpose? How may we evolve, and revolve? Is it possible or am I chasing a ghost? Is this journey one of fertility or one of futility? These are not easy one-answer questions and I am not a one-trick pony. As my curiosities, experiments, and explorations continue, so does my work. Please take my hand and join me in my walk, if you will. |
