Bret Shirley is an interdisciplinary artist based in Brooklyn NY. Through paintings, sculptures, installations and printed works, Shirley pulls directly from the environment by which he is surrounded. He draws from imagery to influence his works or uses small objects of the everyday to create casts which he utilizes within sculptures and installations. Shirley acts as archeologist within his studio practice and commands a self-driven explanation from the objects and images he finds and creates. These works act as historic snippets and ephemera, encouraging the viewer to create a brand new timeline while still remaining in the past. Bret Shirley was born in San Jose, CA and lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. He received his BFA from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn. Shirley is also the founder and director of BS, an artist run studio complex and project space in Houston, TX.