Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Shirley Wagner. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Hi Shirley , thanks for joining us today. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?
I have been a working artist in Tucson, Arizona for over 25 years. I am a sculptor or should I say sculptress. I bring parts and pieces together to build wall sculptures. Because I assemble or build my sculptures from various elements including wood and metal, my style is referred to as assemblage. There is one meaningful sculpture that stands out amongst all the rest. It was created as a response to the loss of my husband nearly five years ago. Shortly before my husband died in 2017, I made a promise to him that I would continue my art making practice. After his passing, I returned to my art studio and spent most of my waking hours sitting in that small space. It was my safe space. For weeks I shuffled through old drawings, picked up bits of wood and read journal entries. In the closet was a mask my husband had given to me. This was not any regular mask. It was the mask he wore when he had to undergo radiation for brain cancer. I remember when he gave it to me. It was on the last day of his radiation treatment. When he walked out of the treatment room he handed the mask over to me and said, “Here, do something with this”. He always supported me and believed wholeheartedly in my work. You asked what is my most meaningful project? This is it. I used his radiation mask along with additional masks from volunteers to create a seven foot art installation that addressed cancer and humanity. The title of the installation is “You are not a statistic, you are a person”. Here is an exert from my journal where I talked about this, my most meaningful project: ” I recall the day the technician molded my husband’s radiation mask in preparation for his brain cancer treatment. A warm sheet of perforated plastic was draped over his face and head. When the plastic cooled, it formed an exact impression of his silhouette. As an artist, I admired the mask for its lace-like texture and milky translucency. It glistened under the laboratory lights. I quickly dismissed those observations but never forgot that experience. At the conclusion of my husband’s treatments, I brought the mask to my studio. Day after day I stared at the mask. At first it appeared alien-like and disconcerting. After a period of time, I finally had the courage to lift the mask to my face. Looking in a mirror, I could see my own reflection through the lace-like surface. This was the defining moment of my work. My art installation was not about cancer. It is about the life force from within. It is a deep humanity that binds us all. I will move away from fear. I will focus on the human spirit and acknowledge the life force that lives deep inside all of us.” Indeed, I had been to the dark side and back. From this entire experience, I now look differently at the strangers. I wonder what their story is. There is a quote written by Katherine Mackenett that really speaks to me: “Now every time I witness a strong person I want to know what darkness did you conquer in your story? Mountains do not rise without earthquakes”.
Shirley , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I graduated with a Fine Arts Degree from Youngstown University in Ohio. I lived in New York City for several years before marrying my husband and moving to Tucson, Arizona in the early 80’s. We have three sons. Once witnessing the light, shadow and space of the Tucson desert, I realized that this sacred space has a story to tell. It is based on survival in a desert climate. The desert sits quietly and patiently in the stillness. I do the same. I was in the right place. In those early years, I was hired by Tucson Unified School District to create art lessons based on the science curriculum. I had the great privilege of working with young students. and got to observe them in their creative process. Their approach was naive, playful and free. I yearned to reawaken that feeling in my own work. After a period of years, I left the school system and returned to my studio. Over a course of the next 20 years I too played. Using wood cubes, recycled metal and found objects, I developed a vast body of work referred to as “assemblage”. My wall sculptures captured that pure and playful quality I so desired in my work. I also taught myself to use power tools to cut up wood and how to pressurize a paint canister for airbrushing. I entered competitions, developed a list of collectors, was included in museum shows and eventually got picked up by my gallery, Medicine Man Gallery in Tucson. I was very pleased with my success….who would have figured that a phone call in 2018 would drastically changed the entire trajectory of my work? I received a phone call in 2018 from the Advisory Committee for the University of Arizona School of Art. I was invited to participate in a live drawing atelier. It was a fundraiser for the School of Art. In front of an audience, I would be given a live model to draw from. My style of art making had vastly evolved from those early days at the university. Nevertheless, I was attracted to the challenge and agreed to participate. The drawings I created in front of the audience looked more like architectural renderings than figure studies. Using bold lines and geometric shapes, I drew an abstract rendition of the human form on white paper. It was well received. I became fascinated with this concept and decided to explore it further. Eventually, I called this series “Human Architecture”. As the drawings progressed, I started to think differently about this series. I began playing with the picture plane, adding other materials to become collage-like. This is however, where my thinking changes: Instead of building out like in traditional collage , I build into the work. With the use of translucent and transparent films, I traveled below the picture plane, adding mysterious layering and revealing another dimension to the drawings. The work looked into itself. With this action I change the perception of how I process reality.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I am a mature female artist of 72 years. I have something to say but fear that I may dismiss me for my age. I would like to help dispel that stereotype. As a mature female artist, I have honed my skills, I am highly disciplined and motivated to create. I fulfill my own expectations and deliver high quality work and always, always entertain change in my art and in my life. Ageism is on of the last isms that needs to be addressed. The way I can address it is by challenging myself and continuing to grow my work. I cannot wait to see what the next twenty five years has in store for me!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
When Covid rocked our world in Jan 2020, I made a decision to channel that fear and return back to my studio. In my 72 years I have known so much tragedy. As a young girl I remember asking my father if we were going to die during the Cuban Missile Crisis. In the last few years I keep asking myself this question: “How many years do I have left to make my mark?” So when Covid presented its ugly face, I had to return back into my studio. It was a matter of survival. Serious times required serious art. In 2021, during the height of Covid, I began a collaboration with art colleague and metal fabricator, Jason Butler. Jason is owner of Special Interest Metalwerks studio in Vail, AZ and has a wealth of experience in public art. Jason asked if I wanted to work together, turning my drawings into metal sculptures. This had been a secret dream for some time. A few years earlier, I had completed an installation of six life -sized figurative drawings for Tucson Medical Center. and I visualized them as life sized sculptures. With Jason’s guidance, we turned my dream into a reality! From small cardboard models, we are now creating life sized metal sculptures in steel or bronze. All the pieces are fabricated by hand. It started out with a few life sized commissions but most recently we were awarded our first team public art grant of monumental figures for the ARLINKS/ Scottsdale Public Art Flux 10 project. On top of that, I have 3d printed some of my table top figures and I’m casting them in bronze for my gallery. I have set my sights on public art. My goal is the create monumental sized figurative sculptures that reach a broader audience. I want to speak to the humanity in all of us.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.shirleywagnerartist.com
- Instagram: shirleywagnerartist
- Facebook: shirleywagnerartist
- Linkedin: shirley@shirleywagnerartist.com
- Youtube: Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHYUHJDEkd4&feature=youtu.be , https://youtu.be/Kh8KBWHm20s
- Other: email shirley@shirleywagnerartist.com
Image Credits
Robin Stancliff Nan Cowley