Art Practice
Exploring Care and the Human Condition
Mallory Shotwell’s art practice is centered on exploring the nuances of care, resilience, and the human experience through a multidisciplinary lens. Her work integrates traditional techniques such as drawing and painting with new media and alternative photographic methods, creating a dynamic and multifaceted approach to storytelling. By navigating the intersections of the personal and the collective, the tactile and the digital, her work reflects the complexities of human life and connection.
Shotwell’s art transcends singular projects, serving as a dialogue that invites viewers and participants into a shared space of reflection and understanding. Her practice weaves together personal narratives and collective identities, using materials and techniques that resonate with both individual and communal experiences.
Projects like Suspended Self: The Liminal Space of Breast Cancer exemplify this approach, incorporating artifacts such as MRI scans and waiting gowns to create immersive installations that explore vulnerability, strength, and transformation. Similarly, her community-based initiatives, including workshops and participatory performances, extend this philosophy, fostering spaces where art becomes a tool for healing, empowerment, and societal reflection.
Her work challenges traditional boundaries of art-making, using a holistic approach to explore themes of visibility, care, and interconnectedness. Whether creating a single piece or facilitating a collaborative project, Shotwell demonstrates art’s capacity to inspire empathy, spark dialogue, and encourage a deeper engagement with the world around us.
Approach and Methods
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Material Exploration: A dedication to using both tactile and digital materials, such as assemblage, new media, and alternative photographic processes, that bridge personal and shared narratives.
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Community Engagement: Developing participatory and interactive projects that emphasize the relational and transformative potential of art.
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Thematic Depth: Focusing on care, identity, and resilience to create meaningful, reflective works that resonate across diverse audiences.
Philosophy
At its core, Shotwell’s practice is rooted in the belief that art can foster connection and social change. Through thoughtful storytelling and interdisciplinary exploration, her work seeks to bridge the seen and unseen, the individual and the collective, creating spaces for dialogue and transformation.
Recent and Current Art Practice Work
'Suspended Self: The Liminal Space of Breast Cancer'
December 2017-Present
Madison, Wisconsin - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Suspended Self: The Liminal Space of Breast Cancer is an ongoing, research-based artistic initiative that visualizes the lived experiences of breast cancer patients, survivors, previvors, caregivers, and those grieving loss. Informed by over 1,500 stories from 10 countries, the project integrates personal narratives and artistic innovation to create an interdisciplinary body of work. Through interactive installations, large-scale drawings, and participatory pieces, the project explores themes of waiting, diagnosis, scars, and resilience, offering a space for connection, advocacy, and understanding.
Click on a photo to learn more about different pieces
Artist's Way Project
2023-2024
Grand Rapids, Michigan
'Artist's Way Project'
2023-2024
Grand Rapids, Michigan
The Artist’s Way Project transforms Julia Cameron’s The Artist’s Way into a city-wide public art initiative, using participatory workshops and guerrilla art interventions to explore creativity as a tool for personal transformation and community connection. Conceived in 2023 and expanded in 2024, the project engages 12 artists to interpret Cameron’s chapters through interdisciplinary practices that activate public spaces and foster dialogue. By embedding art into everyday environments, The Artist’s Way Project positions creativity as a catalyst for resilience, equity, and collective empowerment.
