Artist expresses creativity in many forms

Shayne Pax poses for the lens.        Photos by Christoph Galloway       

Photo shown at the bottom of the story may be deemed explicit by some readers.

By Tom Victoria

As the fox once told the little prince, it is only with the heart that one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. For an artist, outer beauty can only be matched or surpassed by inner beauty.

Shayne Pax, an actor, model and so much more, explained how every work of art represents something meaningful.

“Everything comes back to the feeling and the intention the art is injected with,” he said. “If the artist’s intention is to create something soulful and beautiful, I feel that will translate through the piece in whatever final form it takes. That’s why some pieces of art have very strong resonance. The intention of the artist/creator. I personally love when art is soul-baring, vulnerable and unalloyed.”

Shayne stressed the importance of artists having creative outlets as opposed to restricting themselves.

“I can’t speak for all artists, but I know for myself, consistent creative work is like oxygen,” he said. “Artists can be very passionate, emotional and eclectic people. For this reason, repetitive environments may challenge constant, creative discovery and flow. That being said, I do know some artists who really like the grounding force of a routine and consistency. It helps tether them to the earth.”

Shayne said it’s vital artists have the option to engage in multiple crafts.

“All artists are different, but I find specialization somewhat confining,” he said. “When someone says ‘you’re an actor,’ I say, ‘That is something I do.’ I also love to write, paint, dance, direct, model, photograph, etc. I find art to be an ever-changing landscape and it is changing faster than ever with the Internet. The Internet has rapidly changed the way we create and receive art.”

Shayne savors work in front of the camera.

“I like film because it involves so many different art forms in one all-encompassing project as well as lots of room for collaboration,” he said. “Film is also ever-evolving with shorter, vertical form content being a new dominant force on social media.”

Shayne’s latest photo shoot is a collaboration of photographer Christoph Galloway, creative director E. Payton and the stunning model.  

“The creative team was very inspired by ‘80s glam rock, particularly the coats and the freedom of expression,” Shayne said. “I liked the cooler, blue tones that played off the cover of The Little Prince. The photographer emphasized freedom of expression and movement and nothing felt rigid or posed. I think this spontaneity is best captured in the diving into the bed, which when later inverted, feels like flying off the bed like Peter Pan.”

One photo depicts an unclothed Shayne partially standing behind a white curtain with sufficient lighting to basically reveal what is behind. This is the first time the model acquiesced to a revealing photo.

“Everything is about timing and the right feeling,” he said. “Something just clicked and felt right artistically for me. Something about the translucence of the curtain made it feel tasteful, yet mysterious.”

Shayne seeks inspired assignments when posing for the lens.

“I love to work with very creative photographers who have a strong vision,” he said. “I enjoy when it feels like a dance/creative collaboration. I also am inspired to work with photographers with a body of work that speaks to me.”

Even famous thespians such as Al Pacino and Michael Caine have been quoted as saying they took on some projects for the money. Shayne must believe in a role and feature before accepting an acting job.

“I have said no to many projects,” he said. “You get a gut instinct about if something is creatively aligned with you. For me, it’s not any specific line in the sand. It is more of an overall feeling on the intention of the art and the project.”

Creating art on the canvas runs in the family.  

“My mother is a great painter,” he said. “She mostly paints very detailed landscapes. She is extraordinarily talented. I find myself painting large-scale abstracts. I am very interested in color interplay. I find all things very visual and design-oriented come naturally to me. Color just makes sense to me. I have done some large scale pieces for homes of my friends. I enjoy it very much.”

Shayne also uses his body to make art.

“Dancing is another passion,” he said. “I take online dance classes often. I like to study multiple disciplines from the poise and grace of ballet all the way to freedom of contemporary/modern. I also make sure to go out dancing often.” 

Shayne hopes to expand his writing someday, following in the footsteps of such actors as Gene Hackman.

“I want to write novels one day,” he said. “I have written a few novellas. Hopefully one day, I can publish a novel I am really proud of.”

Shayne’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shaynepax/

Shayne’s imdb.com profile: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm5838713/