shane mcadams: ball point pen paintings

‘pen blow 67’ by shane mcadams ball point pen and resin on panel 12” x 12” image © shane mcadams

exploring the notions of landscape in the broadest sense of the term, brooklyn-based artist shane mcadams creates abstract paintings from ink extracted from ball-point pens. the body of work focuses on the often dueling relationships between natural and synthetic forms, illustrating through process the phenomenon of elemental forces incrementally sculpting a land over time.

displaying a soft and colourful array of tones, the pieces push the boundaries of ballpoint pen ink through a series of non-traditional applications: once extracted, the liquid is heated and mixed with solvents before it is applied to the surface. mcadams does not ‘draw’ in the conventional sense but rather lets gravity, wind, and other physical forces direct the movement of the ink. resembling a chromatography test, subtle gradients and unexpected streaks emerge to create a ghostly multi-toned image. by allowing the painting to, in essence, come to being by itself, it forces the viewers to question what is organic and what is artificial.

‘pen blow 69’ by shane mcadams ball point pen and resin on panel 12” x 12” image © shane mcadams

‘pen blow 68’ by shane mcadams ball point pen and resin on panel 12” x 12” image © shane mcadams