Shawn Marshall
Artist Statement
My artistic process is significantly shaped by the integration of my multidisciplinary background in architecture and sculpture. It informs not only the techniques I employ and the tools I use, but also the consideration I give to structure, form, space, composition, and material. My work is focused on the interconnectivity between the human presence, the built environment, and the natural environment. I also am concerned with waste, consumption, and what imprints we leave behind. With these concerns in mind, I collect discarded, found, and gifted magazines and paper, and save colorful paper shopping bags to use as collage material.
I use architectural and domestic imagery in my collage to experiment with composition, space, and narrative. By juxtaposing disparate elements, I create new meanings and invite viewers to question what they are seeing. By shifting the orientation of the spaces or objects and placing seemingly unrelated imagery together, I aim to disrupt familiar visual narratives and/or create new ones.
Artist Bio
Shawn Marshall is a Kentucky-based mixed media artist with a background in architecture and design. She earned a Master of Architecture with a Minor in Fine Art from Cornell University, and a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Kentucky. She is also a visual arts educator who earned Master of Art in Teaching from Bellarmine University.
Shawn Marshall's work has garnered both national and international recognition, with features in Art Seen Magazine, Suboart Magazine, Contemporary Collage Magazine, and more. In the summer of 2024, she completed a residency with the Jen Tough Gallery in Santa Fe, which culminated in a solo exhibition in November. Marshall has also received multiple Artist Enrichment Grants from the Great Meadows Foundation, the most recent of which supported her travels to Venice, Italy, to attend the 2024 Biennale.
Shawn Marshall’s work is included in many collections including the S.N.A.P. Collection in Louisville, KY, and corporate collections including Brown-Forman Corporation, PNC Bank, Commonwealth Bank, and the University of Kentucky. Her work can also be found in numerous private collections in the U.S. and Europe.