Stephen Shine & Mick Brennan. Oil on canvas. 34" x 54" in. 2010.

Painted for the HEROS exhibition at the Pendulum Gallery in Vancouver,

BC, March 7–27, 2010. Depicts two skiers, who previously were soldiers,

who became disabled while serving the military in Iraq and Afghainstan,

suffering limb amputations from combat. They are part of the United

Kingdom’s recently formed Combined Services Disabled Ski Team,

organized as part of efforts to help the growing number of wounded

soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan in their recovery.

 

Their coach describes them as “an inspiration. Single-minded, determined

and utterly fearless. They pick themselves up time and time again and get

back on their skis. Their will to succeed is huge.”

 

I consider the skiers depicted in my painting as heros because of their

refusal to allow their physical conditions to hold them back from pursuing

their goals to ski, and to move forward with their lives, while also facing the

reality that “it would be easy to slip into a downward cycle,” according to one

of the skiers. They inspire me, awakening to me the realization that, despite

experiencing a disability, there is always a positive vision to be pursued and

experienced, that once embarked upon, causes us to rise above the adversity

that can easily discourage many of us, disabled or not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Installation view of the painting Stephen Shine & Mick Brennan in the HEROS

exhibition at the Pendulum Gallery, March 7–27, 2010, Vancouver, BC.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Systems and Cycles. Installation shown at Emily Carr University of Art and Design in Vancouver, BC.

Consists of a cedar box containing an LCD screen playing a looping video examining repetitive systems

of industry, from a man hammering wood to a large excavator at work, digging and crushing rock. The video

is distorted, faded and in slow motion. Mounted with the video box are steel industry parts and a hammer

and wood, as also depicted in the video. The installation investigates the “systems” and “cycles” of production

and industry and the connection between contemporary art practices that utilize industrial systems of manufact-

uring and manipulation, exploring both large scale earth works and the fabrication of industrial products like

wood, steel and brick for showing in the gallery, using both original concepts and also appropriated ready

mades, bringing to mind the work of Robert Smithson, Carle Andre and Robert Morris.

 

Dimensions of the cedar box are 20.5" x 18.5" x 5.5" in. 2010. Installation dimensions are variable and consist

of steel machine parts, a wood block, wood pieces, a hammer and a cedar box containing an LCD screen and

laptop. Cedar box designed and produced with Kevin Grieve.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kortegracht (Look At My Hand). Digital file. 2007. Manipulated photograph

taken in front of the Mondrian House (Mondriaanhuis), the Museum for

Constructive and Concrete Art, the birthplace of Piet Mondrian and the

gallery dedicated to his work on Kortegracht St. in Amersfoort, Netherlands.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Level Ground I. Acrylic on canvas. 96" x 164" in. 2010. Painted

for the live video recording of Brian Doerken's Level Ground

album and DVD. Painted with the assistance of Tracy Rahn,

Brittney Bremnes and Dave Hensman.

 

The line in the center of the painting is the place of "level ground"

where heaven, represented by the yellow and blue sky, meets earth,

depicted in its colorful and raw state, with browns, greens, blues,

reds and yellows.

 

Level Ground II. Acrylic on canvas. 47" x 129" in. 2010. Painted for the live video recording of Brian Doerken's Level Ground album and DVD.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Untitled. Oil on canvas. 30" x 30" in. 2010.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Bigfoot. Oil on canvas. 36" in diameter. 2009. Painting of a pixelated video still from the 1967 Bigfoot

film made by Roger Patterson and Robert Gimlin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Race Car. Digital file. Photograph of an acrylic and mixed media painting on board, digitally manipulated in Photoshop. 2009.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Untitled. Oil on board. 12" x 16" in. 2010. Study of a small sculpture model.