Artist Proof: Wendell MC Shine is an artist from the island of “the Carnival” Trinidad and Tobago, but currently Shine is based and working out of Mexico City.
Shine’s works have been reviewed, published and showcased widely in the contemporary and urban art market: Harper’s Bazaar, New York Times, La Times, Fahrenheit Contemporary Art Magazine, Juxtapoz Online Magazine, Canvas Magazine, Caribbean Beat Magazine, Dougla Magazine, INDI Rocks Magazine, Wooster Collective, Modart Europe, Belio Spain, Museum of Modern Art Mex, London Print Studios UK, Real Art Ways Gallery US, Anno Domini Gallery US, Adidas Originals Mex, Absolute Vodka Mex, Fifty24 Upper Playground Mex, Artrio Art Space US.
Artsprojekt: Please give us a brief intro about yourself, your art and where you are currently located.
Wendell MC Shine: I’m artist Wendell Mc Shine from the islands of Carnival and Calypso, Trinidad and Tobago, a fun place to be and that’s where I started as a child experimenting with art. My current location on the global map is the ancient and mystic Mexico.
AP: What plays a bigger role in your artwork, where you live now? or where you were raised as a child?
Shine: Trinidad will always be my natural foundation, I was forced to grow up as a church boy and my natural hunger to understand the unknown (God) infiltrated my work conceptually. Carnival puts the ideas of heaven and hell into a street performance, this captivated my imagination. In Mexico I’m immersed in powerful interpretations of the underworld, and witness indigenous people mix Catholism and pre-Hispanic cultures recreating their own believe systems. Both of these Trinidadian and Mexican influences play an equal role since I work with their similarities in creating my worlds.
AP: Describe your artistic style in 5 words or less.
Shine: Emits eclectic third world vibes.
AP: What inspires your art?
Shine: Metaphysics is my foundation into the galactic investigation of space time matter. How I play my part within the universe or universes. I like the idea of seeing my imagination as dark matter that I can control to create.
AP: Do you remember your first experience of making art.
Shine: I wasn’t more than 5 years old and Ma’Shine was always questioning whether I had drawn what was in front of me. We always had her hair dressing magazines with portraits and comic strips from the newspaper lying around, I wouldn’t just redraw these images but I’d mix them with stuff from my imagination. My kindergarten teacher reassured her that I really did have an artistic talent; from there on she invested in watercolors for me; that was the beginning.
AP: What was your most recent experience of making art.
Shine: The organic and peaceful way in which the people of Cholula, Puebla naturally live inspired me to go into the streets with local artists and just give to the energy around. It was refreshing to see how the kids, mothers and just folks in general springed to life in witnessing these murals and just appreciate art on a ground level. It is a very nice intercambio (exchange).
AP: Who’s art are you digging right now? Who do you want to give a shout out to?
Shine: I’m digging the alien vibes (for lack of better word) of Doze Green’s work. I’m feeling my home boy Saner ‘s rendition of Mexican culture, Blu’s off the wall animations because the moving image plays an important role in my art, Dante Horoiwa’s solomly captivating images, “Big chief” David Ellis is pure genius. And a big shout out to Renta, his hunting mystic typography, poems and his sensitivity towards kids and community really moves me on another level.
AP: What are some art related things that you cant live without? Tools of the trade, events etc.
Shine: Ok, I can’t live without juxtapoz magazine, gray dot caps, turquoise 94 cans, good old sci-fi movies, Japanese animation, Caribbean food like roti and most of all Moleskine sketch books
AP: What motivates you to get out of bed every day and create art?
Shine: I have an insatiable compulsion to get my dreams and thoughts out, if I don’t I’m a nervous wreck. Right now, though it might sound a bit cliché, my brand new son inspires me. Working with kids through my Arts Project motivates me because I see a positive investment in the young ones necessary to replenish our future in a more constructive way. Real talk.
AP: Do you listen to music when you work? If so, name a few of the tunes you rock out to.
Shine: I love my Jay Dilla jams, I’m down with Muddy Waters he inspired me to pick up the guitar and do my thing, Buena Vista Social Club for the nostalgic Latin flavor, I love 12 The Band from Trinidad and digging Toy Selector…
AP: When you arent making art, what do you like to do? What are some of your obsessions or hobbies?
Shine: I’m in the kitchen bubbling up some mad curry and thing. I like messing around with the guitar and hanging out with friends with what we Trini call “ole talkin.”
AP: As an artist what are your thoughts on social media and the internet?
Shine: Everything has a positive and negative side to it, it’s just the way of this known universe so for me it’s about connecting these elements for balance.
AP: If you had the ability to time travel, what advice would you have for the artists of the future?
Shine: I put clues in my work for the future and past because I’m working towards being an immortal Being and the advice that I’m injecting into my work is about being responsible with your creations. If you want a world of happiness, peace and love, what you do know affects that.
AP: Tell us something about yourself that Google doesn’t know about (yet).
Shine: I have a solo show coming up at Gallery A.D. and a group show with LA based Edition One Hundred. In November I’ll be going back home to the museum of performing arts to participate in a conference at Animae Caribe with the likes of Oscar Nominated Bill Plympton.
