Kevin Shaffer

Kevin Wayne Shaffer was born and raised in a Mid-Western landscape of tall grass prairie and Oak savanna. This place in the Heartland, a work-hard-play-hard ethic was engrained on a horse ranch, and the ever present Prairie Style inspired Kevin’s development to eventually study architecture, land planning, landscape architecture, horticulture, and sculpture.
“For the creation of artwork, design of landscape, a building, a piece of furniture, anything… extracting the context is what inspires my creative process.”
The years of experience and progression in design thought has influenced Kevin’s art and design career to seek a minimalist approach; honest in the details with naturally rich materials. Kevin prefers to join art media and sustainable built environments in a way to inspire ways of living, create environmental awareness, and reduce maintenance and over-management.
“I am interested in creating a dialogue between ecology and human culture in a way that geomorphology can produce a construction detail. I believe what we learn from the un-built environment is the future of our built world.”
Kevin’s design process is a product of project specifics. A common question at the beginning of any project would be, “What is found in the meaning of the context extracted from site specific research?” The research of history and region, responsibilities towards the environment, local culture, and functionality versus aesthetics; these are all important areas of study and time well spent to this transplant with roots now in the United States’ Mountain Time Zone.
Leadville, Co
My Surfboard

Media: Reclaimed/ repurposed mild steel, beetle-kill pine, solar lighting
Dimensions: 12'h x 3'w x 3'd
$8000
“My Surfboard” is a continuation of my public sculptures featuring 100% reclaimed/ repurposed materials to art media. This piece is mostly mild steel with beetle-kill pine and integral solar lighting. This surfboard-like piece was initially inspired by the time I have spent on my sup (stand up paddleboard). The patchwork of steel remnants (especially lit at night) are like the sun’s reflections through the water I see under my board while looking up from diving below; surface reflections from the lake surface to the lake bottom and back up towards and onto the bottom of my board. Like reflections I see from my past to now; from all of our pasts; and now into the future I ponder the universe like a child as one of my favorite MCU (Marvel Comic Universe) characters, the “Silver Surfer.”
“…our failures so often place us where we need to be… my destiny still lies before me! And where it beckons – there shall soar the Silver Surfer.” - Jack Kirby, Marvel Comics
Why a surfboard in Moab? In the desert? During such an arid time of drought in the west? I hope this sculpture opens a dialogue of how we use our water resources; for recreation and agriculture; for our daily convenience; for life..