Alan Shields: Protracted Simplicity : 1944?2005

This monograph, published on the occasion of the Aspen Art Museum exhibition of Alan Shields (1944–2005) in summer 2016, showcases a comprehensive survey of the artist’s expansive practice, which encompassed printmaking, painting, sculpture and installation. Moving easily between these different mediums, Shields, with his deep consideration of material and color, was interested in opening up a broader context of art, creating objects that could be experienced in relation to the movement of the human body. The artworks, essays and interviews in this publication not only examine Shields’ layered pieces, but also illustrate his belief in a direct connection between art and life, revealing a multifaceted practice that merges the sculptural, the painterly and the theatrical.

This monograph, published on the occasion of the Aspen Art Museum exhibition of Alan Shields (1944–2005) in summer 2016, showcases a comprehensive survey of the artist’s expansive practice, which encompassed printmaking, painting, sculpture and installation. Moving easily between these different mediums, Shields, with his deep consideration of material and color, was interested in opening up a broader context of art, creating objects that could be experienced in relation to the movement of the human body.

The artworks, essays and interviews in this publication not only examine Shields’ layered pieces, but also illustrate his belief in a direct connection between art and life, revealing a multifaceted practice that merges the sculptural, the painterly and the theatrical.