CoRK WEST, STUDIO 1
Lana Shuttleworth ’s highly original art uses common plastic castoff materials, particularly traffic safety cones, to create lavish landscapes and sculptural figures that challenge the viewer’s comprehension. The Los Angeles Times said that in her work “you find yourself looking at these everyday plastic objects in a whole new way.”
Shuttleworth’s work ranges from large ten-foot landscapes to intimate miniature dioramas. Some of her pieces are composed of over 10,000 hand-cut shards of safety cones, forming a dazzling mosaic of dream-like landscapes.
For over 20 years Shuttleworth has been playing with the potential of a plastic cone beyond directing traffic. And her playful yet arresting work makes us realize their potential as well … Her tranquil scenes of Klimt-inspired parks and Japanese-inspired cherry blossoms evoke a humanless, pure natural state. Yet the mosaics of found objects show plastics are often buried deep in our natural and cultural landscapes, even if we do not notice them. Shuttleworth creates an interesting but not incongruous relationship between nature and consumption, asking where found and recycled objects fit into this spectrum.
-- Priscilla Frank, The Huffington Post
Her artwork was featured on the quiz show, Jeopardy, and she has been the cover artist on numerous magazines and art journals. Recent shows of her work include the Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens, the Beaches Museum, Space 42, the Space Gallery, Ormond Memorial Museum, LeMoyne Gallery in Tallahassee, and the George Billis Gallery in Los Angeles.