about Dan SHAUGHNESSY IV
“I’ve always been enamored with the balance of sculpture & technology.”
Dan Shaughnessy IV was born in Stavanger, Norway in 1988. After living in Sweden and England, Dan moved to Houston, Texas with his family where he was introduced to stick welding and various welding tools in the metal shop. As a child, he always had an attraction to form, structure and abstraction. Eventually, this fascination became a search for artistic forms and understanding the qualities metal bestows. He would later attend the school of The School of Art Institute of Chicago. Dan’s move to Chicago in 2008 opened new avenues for exploration in the metal sculpture world. In 2011, Dan began a long term professional liaison while working as an apprentice for Chicago sculptors Boyan Marinov, Mike Helbing, and Terry Karpowicz. It was with this experience that propelled his career as a professional sculptor.
Since beginning his career, Dan has worked on close to a dozen large scale figurative public pieces and over 140 public sculpture installations for a variety of mid-west sculptors. Dan continues to collaborate in the Chicago sculptor community and with fellow sculptors affiliated with Chicago Sculpture International. Dan currently lives between New York City and Chicago, creating public and privately commissioned large scale sculptures for clients. Going forward, Dan will be focusing on the balance of sculpture + technology and how to elevate public pieces to landmarks.
ARTIST STATEMENT
My work explores the evolutionary life of metal and power of molding metal to forge new life. With my first exposure to the work of David Smith, I was immediately drawn to the idea of capturing the viewer’s attention. This philosophy led to me viewing my sculptures as magnets, drawing the viewer into this realm of imagination. My pieces, like “Lorax” guide the viewer into this larger than life wonder, something that doesn't fall into this reality. Mysterious yet inviting. I am enamored by Stainless Steel and its qualities. Over the years, I’ve come to realize this material has the ability to come to life. It has the ability to grow but be timeless; undaunted by the elements.
My focus for the past few years is incorporating technology into my sculptures. The future of public art is reliant on this balance. We have entered an age where the viewer is the artist. We have the ability to use sensors / data to enable pedestrians to interact as well as affect the space itself. Rather than sculptures being stagnant and stale, my work pushes the relationship with the viewer, encouraging curiosity. My larger than life flowers have the ability to use all different types of sensors / data that are appropriate for that space, blending the balance of concept and aesthetics. Whether it is tonal sensors or using social media to drive the experience, these flowers have the ability to connect to the community. Through its sheer scale and whimsical qualities, These flowers will be known as landmarks, attracting all that is near.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
PUBLIC WORK:
2015 “Sol Invictus”, Chicago Sculpture Exhibition, Chicago, IL
2016 “Sol Invictus”, Chicago Sculpture Exhibition, Chicago IL
2016 “Atheons' Light”, Odyssey Exhibition Purdue North West University, Westville, IN
2017 “Lorax”, Commission, Village of Skokie, IL
2017 “Sol Invictus”, Sculpt Fusion Exhibition, Michigan City, IN
2018 “Untitled”, Springfield Sculpture Walk, Springfield, MO
2018 “North Star”, Chicago Sculpture Exhibition, Chicago, IL
2019 “The Giraffe”, Private Commission, Lake Forest, IL
2021 “Palm Beach Blooms”, Private Commission, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
2024 “Solaris”, Private Commission, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
2024 “Great Egret”, Private Commission, Palm Beach Gardens, FL
