Editor's Note: On October 10, 2014, Robert Shangle was announced as the ArtPrize 2014 Time-Based Public Vote winner.
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Robert Shangle ’90, also known as LiveStatue, has made a name for himself both locally and internationally as a performing artist, and has once again landed a spot in the Public Vote Final 20 for ArtPrize 2014 with his interpretation of an oil painting, titled “Your Move?”

“Your Move?” is a three-dimensional oil painting, with Shangle himself as the subject. He painted a background for himself, as well as a small table, chair, and chess board with individual pieces. His opponent is missing from the scene, leaving the viewer to wonder who they are, or if they exist at all. Shangle sits as a part of the set he created, motionless, for nine hours a day during ArtPrize.

“I’ve learned to control my heart rate and breathing,” said Shangle, “I’ve always been fascinated with the human body.”

Shangle’s ability to keep his body under control stems from a lifetime of physical activity and athletics, which was one of his main priorities during his early years at Aquinas.

“I ran cross country, indoor track, and outdoor track, and was at Aquinas for two and a half years,” said Shangle. “Then I decided to leave, have a family, and then came back and took night classes.”

Shangle, who graduated from Aquinas with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, is no stranger to ArtPrize. He has been a performing artist for 10 years, full-time for a year and a half, and in both 2009 and 2010, he placed in the Top 25. With his piece “Under Construction” in 2011, he finished in ninth place. This year, however, was different for Shangle. After performing outside downtown as LiveStatue, covered in epoxied clothing and bronze paint Shangle’s family was concerned for his wellbeing.

“When you’re performing for hours at a time, the elements really take a toll on your body,” said Shangle. “My family sat me down and told me to take a year or two off, we had to make a change.”

The shift came in the form of location. “Your Move?” is featured indoors, in the lower level of the Harris building, and Shangle takes the form of a painting rather than his usual completely bronze statue persona in order to fit in with his surroundings.

If you catch him on a slow morning, you may see him move, but when there is more heavy traffic through the Harris building, Shangle freezes completely, even taking care to blink as subtly and infrequently as possible. He says that he doesn’t do it to scare or shock people, but the idea of being LiveStatue grew out of his infatuation with creating elaborate Halloween costumes. Candidly, he breaks character and chuckles, telling the story of scaring an ArtPrize patron this year. Toward the end of the evening, the lower level where “Your Move?” is featured was empty except for one man, ambling through the art and looking at each intently. He began to touch the pieces, despite their blatant “Do Not Touch!” signs. Headed straight for Shangle, the man had no idea that he wasn’t simply a well-crafted work of art. Shangle stayed frozen, until the man got closer, and then turned his head quickly to make eye contact with him. The reaction was comical, as one can imagine.

The passion for Shangle to continue as LiveStatue full-time comes from a combination of community support, competitive spirit, and a love of art in itself.

“I’ve always liked the arts,” said Shangle. “I took art classes at AQ, but I never thought I could make a living as an artist. I got married, did the corporate world thing, you know. I never thought this would happen.”

With his success in recent years, Shangle wants to continue to work with the Harris building, even after ArtPrize ends this year.

“I’m working on a future with the Harris building, working on using some space for my own sculpture and painting, and working with kids,” said Shangle. “Helping with kids to get centered, you know. Kids with autism really connect with the idea of being a living statue. I’m not sure what it is, if it’s the minor movements, but they do.”

Shangle and “Your Move?” will be on display through the end of ArtPrize 2014 on October 12. Public voting for the Final 20 closes at 11:59 p.m. on October 9.