Shain Gallery | 1/9-1/22 | Charlotte, NC

Multidimensional

Shain Gallery presents the diverse work of Scott Hill, Scott Filipiak and Caitlin Shirock

By Sarah Gianelli

Shain Gallery often chooses to feature distinctly different artists in their group shows and, true to form, they are kicking off the new year with an exhibition that will have a piece to please every palate. This January, the gallery will showcase works by hyper-realist still life artist Scott Filipiak; Scott Hill, who paints dreamy scenes that spark the imagination; and Caitlin Shirock, whose dynamic depictions of organic forms enter the realm of the abstract.

Scott Filipiak, Shaped Love, acrylic on shaped panel, 32 x 24 in.

Filipiak is drawn to objects that carry traces of their past, “the worn edges, faded labels and subtle imperfections that reveal a story,” he explains. “There’s a nostalgia in that evidence of use, a link to a slower, more tactile era. Through painting them, I try to celebrate both their design and the human connection that time leaves behind.”

Scott Hill, The Chase (Oz), oil on board, 7¼ x 10¼ in.

Show pieces like 24 Art Books and Shaped Love explore how objects and imagery shape our collective sense of memory and design. “24 Art Books reflects on the influence of printed art and the way well-worn volumes hold both inspiration and history,” Filipiak explains. “[My] camera and telephone paintings continue that idea through early technology—objects that were once modern are now markers of nostalgia and change. Shaped Love brings those themes full circle, referencing Robert Indiana’s LOVE sculpture as a cultural icon whose form, like the others, endures through time and reinterpretation. Together, they consider how art, design and everyday objects preserve stories of the past while remaining part of the present.”

Scott Filipiak, 24 Art Books, acrylic on panel, 24 x 60 in.

Scott Hill, Traveler, oil on board, 10½ x 12¾ in.

Hill repurposes materials that can be over 100 years old for his canvases—often antique postcards because he often finds the handwriting appealing. “I try to give my work an aged appearance by glazing with many thin layers of paint,” he says. “If you look closely, you can see the colors and words beneath the surface with most of the postcard paintings.” His piece The Chase (OZ) is one of many inspired by the artist’s favorite movie, The Wizard of Oz. It depicts the key characters in what he imagined as an amateur bicycle race.

“My work is abstract and organic, rooted in feeling before form,” explains artist Caitlin Shirock. “I hint at nature without painting it literally: soft, muted color meets movement and emotion on canvas.” Her latest body of work is inspired by the constant motion and changing properties of water. “This collection reflects the rhythm of life: evolving, shifting, finding calm amid chaos,” she says. “There’s energy in the work, yet a quiet peacefulness underneath. Watching the Wateris about fleeting moments—memories and emotions that drift by and shape who we become. The piece invites stillness, presence and gratitude for where you stand now.”