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Sean Shanahan

Life and work

Portrait Sean Shanahan- 1983 Madrid

Sean Shanahan (born John William Shanahan) was born in Dublin the 17th of May 1960. Shanahan is a visual artist whose practice resides primarily in painting. He has spent his childhood growing up in Britain receiving an English education at Eton College. His academic career took shape at the Heatherley School of Fine Art in Chelsea and the Croydon College of Art and Design where he pursued fine art and history of art studies. At the age of twenty two years old, in 1983, he moved to Milan where he held his first solo show in the Luigi De Ambrogi gallery. In 1986 he was awarded a scholarship for the Fundación Olivar de Castillejo in Madrid, where he stayed until 1990. In 1997 Shanahan moved to Montevecchia where he set up a studio where he further developed his techniques in the extension of oil colours in homogenous layers through the use of window squeegee (window cleaning instruments) defined by tapering that restores three-dimensionality. The artistic direction taken by Shanahan has encountered the interest of Giuseppe Panza di Biumo who began to collect Shanahan’s works in a systematic strategy. Shanahan’s works collected in the Panza Collection have been exhibited through the years at important collective shows such as the Panza collection exhibition “State of Mind” held in 2010 at the Lucca Center of Contemporary art, at the Panza collection exhibition held in 2015 “Perception of the future” and at the Panza Collection exhibition at the National gallery of Umbria in Perugia. Furthermore in Villa Panza in Varese Sean Shanahan has now been placed, in a room at the first floor, as a permanent instalment. In addition to his on-going practices Shanahan through the years has been invited in academies around the globe to hold several lectures , however, since 2019 has become a professor for the Visual Art department at NABA.

Sean Shanahan’s artistic research and development reject narrative rethorics as Shanahan’s aesthetics embraces and exploits forms and colours to convey his interpretation and experience of life. Since his early works Shanahan has reflected upon the capturing of the non-dynamic instant in the flow; the moment that fixates actions, gestures and emotions. This research is portrayed in his works through a deep contemplation of colours and the reactions of their properties to different materials. In 1990 Shanahan’s painting underwent a radical shift as he began to only work with oil painting as the characteristic of oils favoured the extending (application) of the material allowing the final result to be more fluid and transparent. In 1994 Shanahan’s research encountered a turning point as he changed the supports on which he painted moving to a material capable of absorbing the colour giving more exposure to the layers and the process his works undergo. According to the artist “The difference between metal and MDF is like the one between swimming and ice skating”. The first work on MDF “Untitled” by Shanahan was presented at the exhibition at Orchard Gallery in Derry. As a consequence to the shift in the support the vertical and horizontal application of different colours gradually transformed into monochromatic paintings framed by bevels along the edges of the MDF to emphasise the corporeality (corporal nature) of the work. Among his numerous solo and group exhibitions it’s possible to remember ‘Singular Episodic’ (2020) held in the Contemporary Art Museum of Lissone, ‘Body of Light’ (2018) held in the Luca Tommasi Contemporary Art Gallery in Milan , ‘Seven Last Words’ (2016) held in the San Fedele Gallery in Milan and ‘Unique Act’ (2008) held in The Hugh Lane in Dublin. Most Recently Sean Shanahan has began working on site specific exhibitions to strengthen in his works their urge to capture the importance of the non-dynamic instant in the flow; in addition the site specific component of the new works allows Shanahan to reflect to a greater extend on the deconstruction of the architectural component of his works. Shanahan has also progressively shifted from the traditional conception of monochromatic paintings toward a more radical approach creating multiple MDF supports painted using different colours opposed to a singular unique monochromed block. The first solo exhibition enclosing all these new aspects in Shanahan’s work is ‘Sudden Time’ held in 2021 in Villa Panza in Vasere where he has presented ‘S.T.’ (2020/21, Oil on MDF, (32 pieces) 200x326cm), ‘Taddeo’ (2018, Oil on MDF, 200x200cm), ‘Nunc’ (2021, Oil on MDF, (32 pieces) 200x326cm) and ‘Transit’ (2021, Oil on MDF, (32 pieces) 200x326cm). Following 'Sudden Time' Shanahan has inaugurated 'Cuore a fette' a solo and site specific show at Building Gallery Milan.

Sean Shanahan, Transit, 2021 (oil paint on MDF, cm 200 x 326)

On the orange wall: Taddeo, 2018 (oil paint on MDF, 200 x 200). On the right side: S.T., 2020-21 (oil on MDF, 200 x 326)

Danza Macabra" (1) 2022 (1.80x1.80m2)

Bibliography

• "A Painters Building Blocks", Aidan Dunne, Irish Times, 10 November 2001
• "A Suite in Three Movements for Sean Shanahan, Mel Gooding", Catalogue, Orchard/Kerlin, April 1995
• Anne Erfle Talks to Sean Shanahan about his recent works, Baukunst, Catalogue, April 1998
• "Apriamo la Gabbia dell'Astrazione! Un Panorama della Giovani Pittura Astratt in Italia", Angela Madesani, Ipso Facto, November 2001
• 16 Artistes Irlandais, Declan McGonagle, Catalogue, l'imaginaire Irlandais, Ecole Nationale Supérieure Des Beaux-Arts, April 1996
• "Astrazione Zero", Angela Madesani Exhibition Catalogue Milano, Maggio 2002
• Bonfante, Luigi, Riccardo Venturi, Gabriele Guercio, Simone di Biasio, Federico Ferrari, Tommaso Mozzati, Fabio Condemi Francesco Fiorentino, et al. "Il Tempo Improvviso e Il Ritmo Dei Colori" - Luigi Bonfante. Antinomie, June 12, 2021.
• "Colour a Life of its own" Michael Fehr Exhibition Catalogue, Műcsarnok, Kunsthalle, Budapest, May 2002
• "Confessions of a Gallery Curator", Aiden Dunne, Sunday tribune, August 1996
• "De Chirico, Fabio, Giuseppina Panza di Biumo, Andrea Romizi, Carlo Colaiacovo, Luisa Montevecchi, Mario Botta, and Marco Magnifico". La Percezione Del Futuro. Perugia, Italy: Fabrizio Fabbri editore, 2015.
• "De Cirkel En Het Vierkant", Eddy Van Der Meer, Alert, December 1990
• "Die Farbe (Rot) Hat Mich", Dr Michael Fehr, Anne Marie Bonnet, Catalogue, Kareé-Ernst Osthaus Museum Hagen, November 2000
• "Do it yourself: The Paintings of Sean Shanahan bring Art and Architecture together in Dublin", Med Bruane Sunday Times Dublin, 6 October 2002
• Dorothy Walker, Modern Art in Ireland in Lilliput Press (p. 219), 1997
• Einfache Geometrie: Baukunst zeigt Shanahan, E. Roos, Kölner Stadt Anzeiger, 15 May 1998
• Festa Italiana, Aidan Dunne, Sunday Tribune, April 1993
• From Nature, (Poetry) to (Multi-) Culture, Caoimhin Mac Giolla Leith Catalogue, L'imaginaire Irlaindais, April 1996
• Geometria per Ritmi Fantastici, Luigi Cavallo Catalogue, Studio Carlo Grossetti, May 1996
• Kunst Zwischen Animation und Askese, Anne Marie Bonnet, Zsolnay Verlag, Vienna, 1999, (p. 200/2003)
• L’Abstraction & Ses Territoires, Philippe Cyroulnik, September 1998 (p. 102-103)
• L’inquieto Geometrico, Carlo Grossetti, Catalogue, May 1996
• Le Couleur Comme Préoccupation Essentielle, Vu Du Doubs, N°85
• "Making a Colourful Impact" Marianne Hartigan Sunday Tribune , Dublin, 29 September 2002
• "Minimalism and Volcanos", Aiden Dunne, Irish Times, 31 March
• "Monochrome Met bloedend Vlack", Erik Hagoort, de Volkskrant, 8 April 1998
• "Of Painting Today in General and its Raison D'Etre": Stephane Bordarier, Antonio Scaccabarozzi and Sean Shanahan, Material colour, Mel Gooding, Catalogue Le 19, Montbeliard, November 2000.
• "Optical Consciousness", Willem sanders, Catalogue Stelling/Copyright tutti, May 1995
• "Optical Consciousness", Rutger Pontzen, Metropolis M, N°4
• Paintings by Sean Shanahan, Caoimhin Mac Giolla Leith, Catalogue, Studio Carlo Grossetti, November 1992
• "Pigments of their Imagination" Medb Ruane Sunday Times, 11 November 2001
• Residue, Brian Fallon, Irish Times, August 1997
• Residue, Catalogue, John Hutchinson, August 1997
• Schemata, Greg Hilty, Catalogue Riverside Studios, London, April 1987
• Schemata, Lynne Cooke, Artscribe, May 1987
• Schemata, Stuart Morgan, Catalogue Riverside Studios, London April 1987
• Schemata, Stuart Morgan, ArtForum, May 1987
• Sean Shanahan at the Kerlin, Brian Fallon, Irish Times, September 1990
• Sean Shanahan at the Kerlin, Brian Fallon, Irish Times, April 1993
• Sean Shanahan at the Kerlin, Luke Clancy, Irish Times, april 1995
• Sean Shanahan Comune di Merate Catalogue, November 1998
• Sean Shanahan, Catalogue, Slewe Galerie Amsterdam, February 1995
• Shanahan, Dieci Finestre su Colore, Arte, December 1998
• Sean Shanahan, Diego Collouini, Titolo, December 1993
• Shanahan, Séan, Friedhelm Mennekes, Elisabetta Longari, and Anne-Marie Bonnet. Seán Shanahan. Köln: Kunst-Station Sankt Peter, 2007.
• Sean Shanahan Galleria Grossetti, Catalogue, October 1998
• Sean Shanahan, Marian Lovett, Circa Summer Edition
• Sean Shanahan, Rob Smolders, NRC Handelsblad, September 1989
• Sean Shanahan, Sabrina Zannier, Flash Art, January 1994
• "Seeing the Paintings" Jen Peter Koerer, Exhibition Catalogue “Vidar”, The Hugh Lane Dublino, September 2002
• "Sei", Roberto Caracciolo, Exhibition Catalogue Corraini, February 2002
• Shifting Ground, Irish Art 1950/2000, Caoimhin Macgiolla Leith, Irish Museum of Modern Art, November 2000.
• "Sight Specific" Exhibition Catalogue Kilkenny Arts Festival Kilkenny, August 2002
• Summer Group Show, Marian Lovett, Sunday Times, 2 August 1998
• "The Breath of Space and the Pace of Time", Anne-Marie Bonnet, Baukunst, Catalogue April 1998
• "The Difficult Art of Simplification", Aidan Dunne, Irish Times Dublino, 27 September 2002
• "The Quality of Difference: Sean Shanahan’s recent Paintings" Mel Gooding, Exhibition Catalogue “Vidar”, The Hugh Lane Dublino, September 2002
• "The Plain Sense of Things", (Il Naturale Senso delle Cose) Raduluino Exhibition Catalogue "Eclissi", Villa Pomini Castellanza, November 2002
• "The Rowan Collection", Exhibition Catalogue, Irish Museum of Modern Art, February 2002
• Tussen Blink, Mathilde Roskam, Catalogue Het Kruithuis, s'Hertogenbosch, June 1987
• Tremolada Alessia, Valentina Locatelli, Luigi Bonfante, and Alberto Zanchetta. Singular Episodic - Sean Shanahan. Lissone: Museo d'Arte Contemporanea, 2020.
• Trois Pour la Couleur, Alain Roy, Le Pays, Montbeliard, 22 September 2000
• Une Saison Irlandaise, Paul Ardenne, Art Press, June 1996
• Verzotti, Giorgio, and Anna Bernardini. Sean Shanahan: Sudden Time. Arezzo: Magonza, 2021.
• "Vision of Reality" Barbara Dawson, Exhibition Catalogue “Vidar” The Hugh Lane, Dublino, September 2002
• "Wenn Künstler Die Bildfläche Öffnen", Heidrun Wirth, Köln Rundschau, 24 April 1998
• "Werk Van Shanahan Ontstijgt Rigiditeit", Robert Roos, Trouw, February 1995