I am very rarely surprised by artists.
It is not meant as an insult…

I often feel like I have witnessed every take on every media imaginable.  Cracked every nut.  But, of course, I haven’t.  And, I delight every time I am taken by surprise.

Shane Watt
is a delightful surprise.

Watt considers himself a  semi-fictional mapmaker.  He is self-taught and based in Montreal Quebec Canada inspired most by the drawing of his father.

Watt has been exhibiting his cartographic work over the past 4 years and producing commissions for the past 7 years.

Watt uses objects, numbers, real places and photographs to create city maps, which convey stories and insights into his own personal experience of a particular time and place. 

Many loyal readers know that I send a quiz, of sorts, to artists I want to feature, and the questions vary depending on my gut reaction to their work. 

In fairness, I usually answer the questions first baring my own truths and embarassments. 

When I asked Watt about his artistic influences, he claimed his father as his biggest inspiration.  Sweet. 

Then once again, he delightfully surprised me.  As a second influence, Watt claims Don Van Vliet (Captain Beefheart).  Wow, I didn’t see that one coming.  On a humorous note, when Don Van Vliet was asked the same question, he answered “I just paint like I paint and that’s enough influence.”  Funny.

I won’t reveal the art he finds creepy, and I’ll leave it to you to figure out his favorite snack foods…yes, I do ask. I’m a nosey foodie, and it IS a food-themed art blog.

In his upcoming exhibit at Galarie Rye in Montreal, Watt will showcase a recent collection of works including a multi-dimensional map, which can be viewed from various perspectives revealing clues of an overall narrative and an interactive puzzle map.

I think most of us can accept map making as an art form, and a few of us always think of maps as art.  But in an age of GPS systems, only an artist would think of whimsical, semi-fictional maps as a specialty media.  How perfect.  I love a niche market. 

Even more–I love the idea of something being representational, but not. 

I appreciate Watt’s refusal to dumb down work to mere aesthetics but make it beautiful nonetheless.  I revel in Watt’s assumption of the best in all people–curiousity, determination and the yearning to understand.

When asked if he includes puzzles and secrets in all of his work–even the commissions, he simply states, “The maps always contain at least four elements, the primary narrative, the muse, references to me and, of course, the secrets of the city. Whenever I create a commission I’m always very clear about the fact that the cities all inter-connect into the larger context of my fictitious country Loyala and need to have the four elements present….so far no one has really minded.”

Thank you Shane Watt. 

I look forward to searching out the hidden gems in my own life’s map very soon.

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