51±¬ÁϹÙÍø

Meet the artists of the 2020 51±¬ÁϹÙÍø Faculty Biennial.

My work is about finding enchantment in the natural world. I use overlapping imagery, expressive color, repeating pattern, and abstracted form as a metaphor for a subjective and ever-changing perception of reality. The process of painting allows for long contemplation of my subjects: the relationships within plant and animal communities, the shapes and patterns of growth and decay, and the precarious balance held in the edges. Shadow, light, and pattern obstruct or complicate a descriptive understanding of these places. Instead, the paintings offer a psychological interpretation of each chosen site, illustrating an appreciation for the impermanent and interdependent nature of each situation.

About Shannon Estlund

Shannon Estlund is an artist and educator living in Fridley, MN with her husband and two daughters. She received her MFA from the Minneapolis College of Art and Design and her BFA from the University of Florida. Estlund has received several grants for her work including Minnesota State Arts Board Artist Initiative grants for fiscal years 2014, 2017, and 2019. She has exhibited her work nationally and internationally including at the Crisp Ellert Art Museum in FL; the Elmhurst Art Museum, IL; Soo Visual Art Center in Minneapolis; the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens in FL; and at the National Galleries of Scotland. Estlund is a Minnesota Master Naturalist and a member of the collective Rosalux Art Gallery in Minneapolis. Her work has been featured in New American Paintings and Studio Visit magazines.