Interview

Jul 31

Gnesha

Shane Rogers (Gnesha) is a mixed-media and collage artist, professional singer/songwriter and musician, and classic dancer by education and training. He was born in Des Moines, Iowa in 1972, and currently resides between Germany and New York, USA. Shane holds a PhD in environmental engineering and is a professor of environmental engineering and science in New York. He is internationally recognized for his achievements in environmental and social justice and public health. His work has brought agency to low-income people in the southern U.S. long-suffering from environmental pollution as described in the book “Wastelands: The Story of Farm Country on Trial” by international best-selling author Corban Addison. He has also appeared internationally for his work linking exposure to toxic molds to people’s experiences of hauntings, which has been highly publicized and fictionalized in online, print, radio, film, and television media since first released in 2015.

As a practicing artist, Shane has chosen to use the anagram of his name: “Grorse Nesha;” therefore, he is the artist known as Gnesha. In the religion of Hinduism, Ganesha is the remover of obstacles, bringer of good fortune, patron of the arts and sciences, and deva of intellect and wisdom. His artwork and photography have appeared on the cover of the Soil Science Society of America Journal, three indie rock albums by the band “Bee Children,” and in Photo Trouveé Magazine and Contemporary Collage Magazine, among other outlets.

What is your background and how did you start your journey in the art world?

“My journey into art started just before the age of three. I was highly active and intelligent as a child with a lot of energy, curiosity and capacity to cause trouble. To channel these gifts, my grandmother engaged me in formal training in music and dance. She really wanted me to be a Broadway performer. My oldest sister, a talented artist often charged with my care, taught me to draw as an outlet for my energy. These experiences complemented and contributed to my academic success. While my later education focused on scientific training and performing arts, my time outside those activities was spent on music creation, drawing, painting, woodworking, physical and digital collage. After overcoming powerful challenges in my life, I have recently gained interest in sharing my creative work publicly. I believe in the power of art to transform thought and inspire action to overcome obstacles like it did for me while practicing in private.”

What inspires you?

“I am often inspired by curious and small things like a picture in a vintage magazine, a strange object that I find in an antique shop, strange stories of people, mysticism, and mythology, and the intersections of traditional culture and technology. I believe in the power of people to overcome obstacles in their lives to achieve greater consciousness and am inspired by those unafraid to express their uniqueness in the universe.”

What themes do you pursue? Is there an underlying message in your work?

“I like to compose stories of people through my artwork and aim to express complex thoughts and ideas though works that inspire emotional response. My work often contemplates themes of introspection, solitude, inner fear, outer courage, triumph, freedom, and the very personal experiences of magic in everyday life.”

How would you describe your work?

“My digital and mixed-media collages portray intersections between fantasy and modern culture, science and mysticism, expression and introspection, and free thought, often with a dark, foreboding element. Much of my collage work reflects Japanese and American culture and mythology and integrates vintage photos and my own original photographs.”

Which artists influence you most?

“My artistic influences sway towards the fantastic illustrations and dreamlike surrealism of classic and contemporary artists such as Heironymus Bosch, Max Ernst, Rene Magritte, and Salvador Dali as well as Japanese Ukiyo-e woodblock prints and paintings by artists such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Suzuki Harunobu, Tsukioka Yoshitoshi and Katsushika Hokusai. I am fascinated by the colorful cartoon illustrations of Japanese artist Rokuro Taniuchi (1921- 1981) and find delight in honoring his work by reimagining them using found photographs and papers in mixed media and digital collage.”

“Much of my collage work reflects Japanese and American culture and mythology and integrates vintage photos and my own original photographs.”

What is your creative process like?

“While out on the streets or in my daily life, I am always finding interesting and odd papers, advertisements, refuse, vegetation, and other found objects that fill my pockets. Some objects can only fit in my pocket by capturing them in a digital image. Combined with piles of vintage photographs and old magazines, I am blessed to create from a room full of interesting and odd artifacts that capture my imagination. Sometimes, I come across an image or an artifact and it whispers to me a story. Other artifacts call to me from their boxes and bags, folders, and drawers because they are part of the story as well. My process is one of bringing these images and artifacts together in a visual way that inspires the emotions of the story they bring with them.”

What is an artist’s role in society and how do you see that evolving?

“I think that this is undefined. The lack of definition is what facilitates creativity, allows individualized interpretation, and ultimately is what makes art interesting. It brings art power. The individuality of the artist and ability to forge their own path yields works that encourage society to manifest reality from innumerable perspectives that diversify our experiences and help us learn and grow. Art can push back against conformist views or provide a sense of common understanding. It can communicate knowledge, expose holes in conventional knowledge, and champion unconventional knowledge. Really good artists communicate complicated ideas and emotions in a way that transcend the imprecision of words and the linearity of time. The nonlinear nature of art facilitates evolution of the artist in infinite ways, none of which are necessarily more important or needed than the others in any given moment.”