Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I was born and raised in St John’s, Newfoundland. In 1996 I moved to Nova Scotia to study at the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (NSCAD). In 2007, I returned to St John’s and have had been involved in putting off several shows over the years. Theses days I spend most of my time continuing my art practice.

Can you tell us a little about your art practice – the layers of surfaces, your employment of acrylics and mixed media?
I tend to alternate between canvas and Mylar as the basis of my work, using layers of oil sticks, spray paint, stencilling, and plastic vinyl collage to add texture to my abstract paintings and landscapes which have been my primary focus for the past several years.

Is there a particular message in this exhibition?
The message I am trying to convey with my most recent exhibition (Plastic Shorelines) is the ever-growing problem with plastic washing up on the beaches of Newfoundland and Labrador.

What artists, not necessarily visual, inspire you?
I have been inspired by countless artists, mostly their process of mark making. The most significant being Peter Doig, Anne Meredith Barry, Graham Howcroft, Gerald Squires, [Jean-Michel] Basquiat and Betty Goodwin.

What’s next for you?
With the success of Plastic Shorelines it has encouraged me to start thinking about my future projects – a potential return to print making – but primarily I will just be continuing with my studio practice. The plastic pollution problem is also a theme that I expect to be exploring in future works.

Is there something about your artwork or this exhibition that I haven’t asked, that you’d like to share?
I was hoping to bring awareness to the over-plastification of the sea life and wildlife inhabiting and surrounding the beaches of Newfoundland and Labrador. Hopefully, after seeing this show people will take this problem a little more seriously, Maybe questioning where the plastics are coming from, what industries are most responsible: fishing, oil and gas, cruise ships, etc.

Shane Dwyer is represented by Emma Butler Gallery. Images: United Landscape #3, Untitled Landscape #1, Untitled Landscape #4, Untitles Landscape #2, courtesy the gallery.