Floyd Shaman
Encyclopedia
Floyd Shaman was a prominent twentieth century American
sculptor.
, Shaman lived in several parts of the state in his early years and briefly in Seattle, Washington
where his parents worked in the aircraft industry as part of the war effort. He graduated high school from University Prep in Laramie, Wyoming
. Shaman excelled in basketball and won a three-sport scholarship to North Dakota State Normal and Industrial School
in Ellendale, North Dakota
. After attending college for several years, he enlisted in the United States Navy and became a dental technician, a vocation that would presage his later artistic career. Returning to Wyoming in 1960, Shaman studied sculpture as an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming
where he trained under Robert Russin
, one of Wyoming's most well-known artists. He earned a Bachelor's degree in art and went on to take a Master's degree in 1969, writing a thesis on the chemical patination of bronze. Shaman left Laramie and moved to Cleveland, Mississippi
to teach art at Delta State University
in 1970. He was hired to establish the sculpture division of the art department and he successfully implemented a bronze casting foundry as part of that project. Due to the difficulty of obtaining stone in Mississippi, Shaman began working in the more readily available medium of wood. A residency at Yaddo
in 1976 resulted in one of his first major pieces, the Janus Road Show, a collection of three figures representing jazz musicians Shaman saw in New Orleans. He left academia after ten years at Delta State in order to devote himself full-time to sculpture. Shaman found success as an independent artist, regularly exhibiting work in galleries throughout the United States. One of his most beneficial gallery relationships was with the Elaine Benson Gallery in Bridgehampton, New York, which hosted an invitational charity art show to benefit a local animal rescue group. Shaman's own home and studio served as a local attraction, and starting in the mid- 1990's his wife, Molly, ran a popular bed and breakfast that used his work as an appealing highlight of the inn. One of the South's most important figurative
artists in the last part of the 20th century, his works are included in major collections across the United States and internationally.
, and sober reflection. Shaman's work was also often characterized as whimsical, a quality that can be seen in the work he created for puppeteer Peter Zapletal (see External Links below). His life-size human figures frequently portray the working-class people he evidently admires, though he also represented historical figures, animals, and characters from literature and film. Shaman used other media in addition to wood, including stone, bronze, ceramics, and painting.
Short autobiographical story:
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sculptor.
Life
Born in WyomingWyoming
Wyoming is a state in the mountain region of the Western United States. The western two thirds of the state is covered mostly with the mountain ranges and rangelands in the foothills of the Eastern Rocky Mountains, while the eastern third of the state is high elevation prairie known as the High...
, Shaman lived in several parts of the state in his early years and briefly in Seattle, Washington
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
where his parents worked in the aircraft industry as part of the war effort. He graduated high school from University Prep in Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
. Shaman excelled in basketball and won a three-sport scholarship to North Dakota State Normal and Industrial School
North Dakota State Normal and Industrial School
The North Dakota State Normal and Industrial School at Ellendale was a state-supported institution of higher learning located in Ellendale, North Dakota. Provisions were established for its creation at the North Dakota Constitutional Convention in 1889...
in Ellendale, North Dakota
Ellendale, North Dakota
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,559 people, 603 households, and 355 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,083.6 people per square mile . There were 750 housing units at an average density of 521.3 per square mile...
. After attending college for several years, he enlisted in the United States Navy and became a dental technician, a vocation that would presage his later artistic career. Returning to Wyoming in 1960, Shaman studied sculpture as an undergraduate at the University of Wyoming
University of Wyoming
The University of Wyoming is a land-grant university located in Laramie, Wyoming, situated on Wyoming's high Laramie Plains, at an elevation of 7,200 feet , between the Laramie and Snowy Range mountains. It is known as UW to people close to the university...
where he trained under Robert Russin
Robert Russin
Robert Isaiah Russin was an American sculptor, artist and University of Wyoming professor. He was best known for a number of public sculptures throughout the United States, including the "Spirit of Life" fountain sculpture located at the City of Hope National Medical Center in California and a...
, one of Wyoming's most well-known artists. He earned a Bachelor's degree in art and went on to take a Master's degree in 1969, writing a thesis on the chemical patination of bronze. Shaman left Laramie and moved to Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland, Mississippi
Cleveland is a city in Bolivar County, Mississippi, United States. The population was 12,334 as of the 2010 census.Cleveland has a fairly large commercial economy, with numerous restaurants, stores, and services along U.S. Highway 61...
to teach art at Delta State University
Delta State University
Delta State University, also known as DSU, is a regional public university located in Cleveland, Mississippi, United States, in the heart of the Mississippi Delta...
in 1970. He was hired to establish the sculpture division of the art department and he successfully implemented a bronze casting foundry as part of that project. Due to the difficulty of obtaining stone in Mississippi, Shaman began working in the more readily available medium of wood. A residency at Yaddo
Yaddo
Yaddo is an artists' community located on a 400 acre estate in Saratoga Springs, New York. Its mission is "to nurture the creative process by providing an opportunity for artists to work without interruption in a supportive environment."...
in 1976 resulted in one of his first major pieces, the Janus Road Show, a collection of three figures representing jazz musicians Shaman saw in New Orleans. He left academia after ten years at Delta State in order to devote himself full-time to sculpture. Shaman found success as an independent artist, regularly exhibiting work in galleries throughout the United States. One of his most beneficial gallery relationships was with the Elaine Benson Gallery in Bridgehampton, New York, which hosted an invitational charity art show to benefit a local animal rescue group. Shaman's own home and studio served as a local attraction, and starting in the mid- 1990's his wife, Molly, ran a popular bed and breakfast that used his work as an appealing highlight of the inn. One of the South's most important figurative
Figurative art
Figurative art, sometimes written as figurativism, describes artwork—particularly paintings and sculptures—which are clearly derived from real object sources, and are therefore by definition representational.-Definition:...
artists in the last part of the 20th century, his works are included in major collections across the United States and internationally.
Technique and Subject Matter
Though he was trained as a stone carver, Shaman's most significant work was in wood and involved the detailed process called lamination. Shaman is featured in the textbook, The Sculpture Reference: Techniques, Terms, Tools, Materials, and Sculpture by Arthur Williams, where detailed photographs illustrate his technique and tools. He further refined the lamination process by developing a "hollow-core technique" that resulted in strong, yet lighter pieces. Shaman often filled the empty cavities of his sculptures with objects known only to the artist, a humorous touch that often intrigued and frustrated his patrons. His typical sculpture depicts everyday encounters defined by wry humor, ironyIrony
Irony is a rhetorical device, literary technique, or situation in which there is a sharp incongruity or discordance that goes beyond the simple and evident intention of words or actions...
, and sober reflection. Shaman's work was also often characterized as whimsical, a quality that can be seen in the work he created for puppeteer Peter Zapletal (see External Links below). His life-size human figures frequently portray the working-class people he evidently admires, though he also represented historical figures, animals, and characters from literature and film. Shaman used other media in addition to wood, including stone, bronze, ceramics, and painting.
External links
General review and several pictures of work available at:- 2009-05-12 Art Show with a piece by Shaman
- Artist Profile at Taylor's Contemporanea Fine Art
- Artist Profile at servinghistory.com
- Advertisement for a show at the Walter Anderson Museum
- Puppets by Shaman for Peter Zapletal and the Puppet Arts Theatre
Short autobiographical story: