Shannon Estlund

Region: Midwest

Website: http://shannonestlund.com

City / State: Savannah, GA

In my landscape paintings, I use overlapping and contradictory information in order to incorporate multiple meanings, inviting the viewer to become an active participant by interpreting the work. Many of my paintings feature potential destinations in the far distance, welcoming viewers into deep illusionistic space while simultaneously resisting their entry with passages of paint that sit on the surface of the canvas or panel.

In my work, I investigate the relationship between the individual and place. My subject matter is focused on unidealized natural spaces that are not normally a destination for anyone. They tend to be overlooked areas near dirt roads and houses, but outside everyday human use. What these spaces offer is an aesthetic experience that allows one to exist in the moment, as well as the potential for exploration and adventure. They are spaces that are both real and imaginary, that are complex and difficult to move through, and that function both as instances of actual sensory experience and metaphors for decisive moments in everyday life.