Skip to content

Shane Walsh’s paintings are the result of an interest in collage, both in a literal sense and as a conceptual framework for understanding the legacy of abstraction. His process begins with small-scale collages constructed from photocopies of various shapes and marks - some expressive, others graphic or digital - which respond to the history of abstract painting.  His interest in the technique owes as much to the punk and hip-hop ephemera of the artist’s youth as it does to modernist collage traditions. The photocopy itself also serves as an important metaphor. Just as an image repeatedly reproduced on a copy machine will become distorted over time, so our understanding of abstraction is altered as paintings are transmitted and reproduced through time and culture. For Walsh, these distortions are something to celebrate, and provide him with the opportunity to re-construct an image of abstraction that feels appropriate to his time and place.

Shane Walsh lives and works in Milwaukee, WI. He received his MFA from the University of Washington in 2006, and his BFA from Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design in 2001. Solo exhibitions include The University of Wisconsin-Madison; OS Projects, Racine, WI; Artstart, Milwaukee, WI; The Alice Wilds, Milwaukee; Portrait Society Gallery, Milwaukee; Thelma Sadoff Center, Fond Du Lac, WI; and Blindfold Gallery, Seattle. Group exhibitions include the Museum of Wisconsin Art, Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, WI; Juxtapoz Projects at Mana Contemporary, Jersey City, NJ; Youngspace, New York, NY; Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, WI; Open Gallery, Portland, OR; Usable Space, Milwaukee; Transients Gallery, St. Louis, MO; and Francine Seders Gallery, Seattle. Walsh is a three-time Mary Nohl Suitcase Fund recipient, and has received press in New American Paintings, Art F City, Artsy, ArtMaze Magazine, Shepherd Express, and Journal Sentinel. Walsh recently completed a residency in Alfred University at Düsseldorf, Germany.

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Chlorine Saint, 2023

Acrylic and oil on canvas

54h x 42w in
137.16h x 106.68w cm

Walsh-092

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Kissing Booth, 2023

Acrylic and oil on canvas

47h x 37w in
119.38h x 93.98w cm

Walsh-090

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Criminal's Apprentice, 2023

Oil and acrylic on canvas

80h x 72w in
203.20h x 182.88w cm

Walsh-094

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Flashed Fangs, 2024

Oil and acrylic on canvas

35h x 27w in
88.90h x 68.58w cm

Walsh-095

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Omni, 2023

Oil and acrylic on canvas

47h x 37w in
119.38h x 93.98w cm

Walsh-096

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Orlando Menthol, 2024

Oil and acrylic on canvas

35h x 27w in
88.90h x 68.58w cm

Walsh-098

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Soft Skeleton, 2024

Oil and acrylic on canvas

35h x 27w in
88.90h x 68.58w cm

Walsh-099

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Weather On Its Way, 2024

Oil and acrylic on canvas

47h x 37w in
119.38h x 93.98w cm

Walsh-100

Painting on canvas by Shane Walsh

Shane Walsh

Nicotine Canary, 2024

Oil and acrylic on canvas

56h x 40w in
142.24h x 101.60w cm

Walsh-101