1958-1989 PRE-SHOOSTY
My name is Stephen Shooster. I was born in Chester, PA 1958, the third of four children to Herman and Dorothy Shooster. My mom had her hands full with my two older brothers. I was easy. All I needed was some paper and crayons to keep me occupied. She saved all of my draw- ings. As you flip through these pages, you will witness the life of an artist unfolding. Volume 1 covers the first 31 years of my life, including my childhood and college before marriage. A book like this is called a Catalog Raisonné. It is French, meaning the complete collection of an artist’s work. During these years, I explored many concepts, from primitive to abstract expressionism and surrealism. I never settled on a single style. I prefer to learn as many techniques as I can.
The College of Art had two primary tracks, Fine Art and Graphic Arts. I chose Fine Arts. I wanted to work for myself. My father had other ideas. He said I could not make art my career, so I took a minor in Architecture. I recall being the only art student to take calculus at the time. The best part is that I aced it! Upon graduation, I was accepted into a Mas- ter’s of Architecture at the University of Ohio. At the same time, my father asked me to stay home and help grow his small business. He had about ten employees and ran an old-fashioned telephone answering service using rented equip- ment from the phone company. Working for my father was slow at first. To do billing, we would have to count slips of paper messages. It was te- dious, so we started to weigh the paper with a In 1985, the phone compa- ny was broken up into many parts, allowing competi- tion to enter the market. We started selling beepers. They were a perfect match for an answering service. An opera- tor could take a message and “Beep” the customer to pick it up. This was new and innova- tive technology. We never had anything like it before. In 1988, 800 number “FREE” calling was in- vented, leading to the advent of the call centers. We replaced our switchboards with specialized computers, and I was sent to California for training, which led to a love for software and continuing education for the rest of my life. A few years later, I decided to build a call cen- ter. This would occupy my time for the next 30 years, but I always found time for making art. Note to the reader: Shoosty® is Stephen Shoost- er’s registered trademark. All of his later works are signed, Shoosty. This first book predates that concept, but we will recognize Shoosty in its title for its continuity. fine scale. You would think the time was crawling. We didn’t realize we were at the center of the computer tele- phony revolution.
When I was 15 1/2, my father lost his job. He was 48, with four children ready for col- lege. He decided to start over in Florida, where he eventu- ally bought a small business that would shape my career. I entered my junior year at Hol- lywood Hills High School in Hollywood, Florida; soon af- ter, I started driving. In 1976, at 18, I still had all of my baby teeth. It was due to a genetic disorder. I was sent to a world-renowned dentist in
“There is nothing like the freedom that painting can give you.” - Shooster
New York and had all my teeth removed in one visit. I have never experienced pain like that be- fore. Having my teeth removed awakened what I call my super-consciousness, and I vowed to direct that energy to do something significant. From 1976 to 1982, I attended the University of Florida. As an undergraduate, I was encour- aged to take classes from all the different disci- plines, but my favorite was woodworking. I used my independent study credits to spend as much time as possible in the woodshop. When I ran out of credits, I was directed to the College of Art, where I discovered painting. Painting is like woodworking without the wood. It is also Phi- losophy, Science, Business, and more. Painting is the act of composing everything. It is interdisci- plinary. There is nothing like the freedom that painting can give you. Around this time, I asked myself what I would want to do with all my time if successful. The answer was easy: painting!
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