Michael Shaw is a practicing sculptor and Curator at Burghley House Sculpture Garden. He is currently researching the history of site-specific sculpture and inflatables as part of a practice-led PhD at Loughborough University.
He has shown and collaborated internationally, working with Alexander Whitley and Evidence Dance Company on stage and at festivals such as Dance Umbrella at Somerset House. With upcoming exhibitions at Wirksworth Festival, Left Bank Leeds, and NCCD Sleaford.
Where did you grow up and where are you based now?
I grew up in the South East, went to art school in the South West, and have spent the last twenty years in the East Midlands. I'm based near Loughborough and have a studio at Eagle Works in Nottingham.
What is your current workspace like?
I have a small studio at Eagle Works in Sneinton, Nottingham. It's on the top floor of a converted Victorian factory in a lovely community with lots of other studios.
Can you tell us about your artistic practice?
I make site-specific inflatables that use the architectural features and context of their locations to inform and activate the work. They tend to be big and can be made cheaply and quickly. By creating site-responsive works, my process begins by responding to a location, then looking for materials and processes to respond to that analysis.
What do you think the role of an artist is?
To surprise and delight - and make people see things in a new way.
What are the key themes of your work?
My work looks at the phenomenology of sculptural experience. How objects look at us and how we look at them. My PhD looks at the history of sculpture outdoors and the significance of site and context for sculptural meaning.
What tools and materials do you most enjoy working with?
I work across a lot of processes, depending on the project. I've worked with casting, welding, carving and other traditional processes. Recent projects have used heat-sealing and inflation. I also use digital 3D modelling, CAD drawing, laser cutting and 3D printing.
What was the first piece of artwork you created?
I think it was a drawing of our dog called Bryn. I was about four.
What piece of work are you most proud of?
I've recently completed a series of inflatable installations for galleries and museums across the UK. Each one has been designed specifically for its location, transforming well-known spaces with a series of bespoke sculptural inflatables.
Are there any artists who have significantly influenced your practice?
My PhD is on Donald Judd's essay "Specific Objects" from 1965, which traces how a new type of three-dimensional work emerged between painting and sculpture in the early sixties. This period is hugely important for the history of sculpture and continues to influence my thinking and practice today.
Has living/working in the East Midlands influenced your practice in any way?
Definitely. The East Midlands is a great place for makers and fabricators. As well as the artists, there are all sorts of specialist manufacturers, engineers and suppliers around here - people who are used to making small numbers of things to a high specification. That's a great resource for artists making things.
What are you working on at the moment?
I'm working on two large-scale temporary inflatable installations. One is for an exhibition at a disused bank in Leeds and another for NCCD Sleaford. Both will be unveiled in September.
What's next?
An exhibition at Wirksworth Festival in September. After that, I'll be finishing the write-up of my PhD.
For more about Michael's work visit his website www.michaelshaw.art and follow him on Instagram.