Daniel Shay

Artist Statement

Bamboo Sculpture:
Indigenous People SE Asia

Inspiration for working in bamboo comes from experiences in SE Asia, specifically working with the indigenous people, the Dega Culture or Montagnards (Mountain People). Simplicity, elegance and a strong affinity to nature have guided my sculptures. Their wisdom is essentially an "Inner Light" in which Nature is respected and understood as a living component of our own Humanity.
Current works supplement aged cedar for support as well as in the main design. At Lake Atitlan in Guatemala cedar is used in housing and building construction because it maintains strength in tropical climates, a concept which I find helpful with outdoor sculpture.

The components of my sculptures are ancient in terms of process, sustainable bamboo from Eastern and Western hemispheres; polychrome oils from a European tradition and at times, contemporary solar technology. An artist as activist really denotes one who is a seer and protector. Color and light are an affirmation that these qualities can be manifest to guide us even in the bleakest of times. Smith Fellowship awarded by the National Gallery of Art for works on bamboo.

Watercolor, mixed:
Sculpting time and distance

Works on paper investigate motion, distance and time, they are simply Rolling Meditations. Beginning in 1984 and continuing today, essentially drawing verite. For me, this process activates and, by necessity, demonstrates awareness, I feel it is possible to sculpt time and distance. Drawing and driving simultaneously is a process that was initiated in 1984. Media applied to paper is naturally affected by the vibration and velocity of the travel. Control and lack of control exist at the same time, initial works are abstract in style. Occasionally nude models are used for symbolic sessions with the results being that the figure 'emerges from the turmoil of busy scribbling. It is the requisite speed of execution that is reflected in the work and brings to mind the sense that one can never hope for more than a glimpse of anyone.' (Nancy Ungar)