A Stranger in Town: Dark, Symbolic Compositions by Shane Pierce

Shane Pierce - Hash House

Shane Pierce is an artist from Missouri (currently based in North Carolina) who describes his life and art as “nomadic”—travelling, working in different creative fields, and populating his oil paintings with skull-faced suitcase-toting wanderers ( “‘a stranger comes to town’ type of theme,” as he describes it in a fascinating interview with Beautiful Bizarre). With white picket fences and neglected countryside graveyards, Pierce gives us some truly modern American noir—the creepiness of ordinary existence, manifested as a fracture of darkness and intrigue in a quiet rural setting. Each painting is packed with symbolism, inviting the viewer to interpret the mystery (and/or enjoy its ambiguity) themselves. Pierce has an aptly titled art book, “Nomads,” available on his website. Check out his Instagram here.

Shane Pierce - Dark Schemes

Shane Pierce - Divinations

Shane Pierce - Her Last Rites

Shane Pierce - Roam Free

Shane Pierce - Walk on by

Shane Pierce - Wandress

Images © Shane Pierce

Via Last Rites