Origins: Influenced by German Expressionism, Shuttleworth first created Dialogues in the Corridors, a series of carved portraits made of plasticized polyvinyl (the material of traffic cones) that depicted faces caught in corridors hemmed by obtuse walls. Originally intended as printing blocks, these works took on a life of their ownÑand became jarring works of art in their own right. They depict a shaking and unique juxtaposition of what appears to be very real, rich flesh embalmed beneath a vibrant plastic skinÑexplicating in shocking detail and visceral symbolism how the body, the flesh and the very faces that shape our supposedly unique, human identities have become consumed, compartmentalized and co-opted by an increasingly modern, plastic and throw-away culture of commodity. These are staggering works in that they marry, mix and morph the magnificence of the human condition with the mundane materials that shape the modern world.

Evolution: From this, Shuttleworth became less concerned with the surface symbolism of portraiture embodied in unconventional mediums. "As I began massaging and manipulating my medium, I realized that all is organic — and that the weathered and beaten skin of these cones is not so unlike our own", she recalls while cutting the ribs of Pelt #3.

"The lines I carved began to jump off the flat plane," she continued. "They now created new, spatial compositions. Among these were my carcasses, which many called, 'twisted, slivered, stretched and knotted.'" According to Rob Cambell, a reporter with the VC Reporter, these contortions formed "disturbingly elegant, graphically biomorphic mobiles."

Culmination: Shuttleworth gradually became, as she puts it, "wickedly addicted to, and obsessed with, my materials. I experimented with this pseudo, plastic fleshÑbending and folding it. I sculpted it as I would a personÕs face, heart and internal self. It became organic to me." This fixation culminated in a series of well-received, visceral wall constructions that speak of human perseverance. "My challenge lies in maintaining the dynamic and physical presence my materials once had, while creating new forms with strong, living contour of line and shape," she says. "At this stage, I can say that I have achieved something unique and enduring. I think I've managed to capture something about the malleability and nature of the skins we wear day in and day out — that it is resilient, endures and tells a story."

Concept: "I am inspired by what we find in 'MateriaLand,'" Shuttleworth adds. "Materials and plastics like the cones we see on the side of the road relates to my progression as a human. These things — they survive and endure, and you can see this in the scars they carry on their surface, which are caused by passing vehicles, accidents and even disasters. The mars and scars they wear like badges tell the story of surviving in a fast, quick and relentless urban environment — and that is precisely where so many of us find ourselves these days." In this, Shuttleworth's art — though her materials are not organicÑreflects the human struggle, which is often shaped by trials, desolation and desperation. By layering and sculpting her plastic into almost — human forms, bits and pieces, she has managed to lay us bare — reminding us, ultimately, of the stuff of which we are made, which is, sadly, just that: stuff, tempered with trauma, tribulation and time.