Untitled, 1981
40.75 x 41 in.
screenprint
of 144

Edna (from the Dragonfly Chip Series), 1988
27.75 x 27.75 in.
relief, handmade paper construction
of 20

Alan Shields pushes the boundaries of what defines a print. His mixed media works employ techniques of bricolage and often contain combinations of traditional silkscreen processes, combined with found materials, such this stunning, colorful silkscreen with applied thread stitching.

New York Times Art Critic Roberta Smith wrote in his 2005 obituary: "Mr. Shields's work combined expanses of gorgeous stained color, reminiscent of Helen Frankenthaler's canvases, with the humbler crafts and a Gypsy sense of portability." Critic Robert Hughes has described Shields as a brilliant bricoleur who could, and often did, make art out of just about anything. He became an innovative printmaker, experimenting with handmade paper and turning out editions in which each print was unique. After his passing, Alan Shield was awarded a Judith Rothschild Foundation grant given to recently deceased abstract artists whose work is of the highest quality but merits further recognition.

Select Public Collections:
Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden (Washington, DC)
Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC)
Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, TX)
Tate Gallery (London, UK)
National Gallery of Australia (Canberra, AU)