Stepping outside of the more common gallery route is beneficial anywhere, but our offerings in Salt Lake City have often been few and far between. Luckily, opportunities for exploration have been on the rise recently, offering more diverse work and experiences for those willing to seek them out. […]
Shawn Porter’s works are derived from observation, developed by idea, and realized through a mastery of diverse materials and technique. The physicality of his installations capture the viewer with an aesthetic composed of formal elements and a playful taste for pushing the boundaries of material, balance and weight, […]
Shawn Porter and Ron Russon were childhood friends who grew up in Lehi, Utah, and though both have become professional artists — Porter an installation artist, Russon a painter — they had never worked together until we brought them together for Artists of Utah’s May co-lab. In this […]
At our first co-lab event in February we talked with Shawn Porter and asked him, if he had the chance to work in our space what artist would he like to collaborate with. His answer surprised us – Ron Russon, a painter whose work had seemingly little in […]
Shawn Porter’s “Spatial Perception,” part of the TRAX Airport Line, was installed in Spring of 2013. Porter has said of the work: “This series of two sculptures reference the Jordan River, Riparian Zones, wetlands and wildlife existing throughout the Salt Lake Valley and near the Salt Lake City […]
Shawn Porter knows materials and how to use them, but in art, he says, the idea comes first. Porter has always worked with his hands. He says he doesn’t really understand something unless he can see the mechanics of it and his mind can communicate with his hands. […]
I can’t remember the last time I went to an exhibition devoted solely to sculpture (I know it wasn’t here in Utah), and I’m positive I’ve never been to West Valley City to look at art; but I accomplished both this month when I made my way through […]
Shawn Porter works for the University of Utah art department. He is included in the faculty show at the UMFA this month. 1) What are you reading lately? Lately I have been reading, (or rather looking at) a book by Rainer Zerbst about the architect Antoni Gaudi. I find his fusion […]