Baker Artist Portfolios

About the Artist: Sheila Callahan

When I was a kid, my family didn't have much money so I bought my clothes at thrift stores. Instead of feeling "less than" because I couldn't afford to wear the same things as my peers, I felt empowered knowing that I had the ability, by deconstructing or altering a garment or wearing it in an unintended way, to find beauty and value in second hand items.

My art taps into this same desire — to give a second life to objects that are no longer wanted or useful to others —most often broken and discarded items like outdated/obsolete appliances or random hardware.

3 principles guide my creative process:

* Explore unconventional items to find beauty.
On the surface, there isn't much appeal in a broken blender or a stereo system from the 1970s. However, when I deconstruct an item, I’m often pleasantly surprised by the artistic potential I see in the item's components.

* Transform what you have.
I find my source materials while walking through the city or when friends/neighbors gift me their unwanted items. I have a strict "no buy" policy and I don’t purchase anything for my projects (except paint, glue or other adhesives) as I prefer to support the environment by up-cycling existing materials. I also find that I'm most productive when I limit myself to using only the raw materials that I already have on hand.

* If it's not fun, don't do it.
I began creating for my own joy and sense of accomplishment and I've just begun showing my work as a means of spreading this joy more broadly. And, I hope my work inspires people to look beyond the surface of the people, places and things around them to discover their hidden potential.