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Cher
Shaffer
Cher Shaffer was born in rural Atlanta, Georgia, on a small farm. This rural
Georgia setting became an important part of Cher's self, as her Native American
mother taught her about the values of nature. An additional Native American
teaching from her intuitive mother included a value for the world of dreams.
Cher's German father, a direct descendant of Martin Luther, was a staunch
Baptist and provided her with a deep respect for her creator and appreciation
for the spiritual side of life. This unique and diverse upbringing resulted
in Cher being a true and natural visionary, with her creations being guided
by ancestral memory, beliefs and expectations. Cher's creations communicate
her hopes, fears, and emotions.
Cher's works evolved
to include fantasy interpretations with strong electric colors and expressive
and meaningful characters.
Cher experienced heart
failure in 1985. This resulted in her work beginning to explore death
and mortality, emerging from a "primal level" created from her
very core. Ghostly images began to haunt her. Her sense of responsibility
for what she would leave behind grew stronger.
Millard and Ramona
Lampell described Cher in this following quote from "O,APPALACHIA:
Artists of the Southern Mountains." "She is a painter, wood
carver, sculptor, and a maker of haunting figures created from pottery,
cloth, human hair, wood, seeds, shells, claws, fur, and feathers. She
is a practical down-to-earth mother, a rebel, a mystic, a dreamer, a one
woman magic show."
Cher's career as an
artist is highlighted by many accomplishments, with her work being recognized
both nationally and internationally. Cher's exhibitions and shows are
too numerous to list, but include "Paradise Lost and Found"
at Portsmouth Museum in Portsmouth, Virginia, at Colorado State University,
Fort Collins, Colorado and at Owensboro Museum of Art, Owensboro, Kentucky,
along with "Ghost Dance," at Parkersburg Art Center, Parkersburg,
West Virginia. Additionally, Cher's work is represented in private and
public collections including that of Whoopie Goldberg, Jane Fonda, Richard
Dreyfus, Rob Reiner, Henry Winkler and one of her most appreciated, fellow
artist Thornton Dial.
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