Alan Shields (American, 1944–2005) was an interdisciplinary artist, known for his vibrantly colorful work in paper, canvas, printmaking, and installation. Frequently using craft or humble materials, Shields’ work is both playful and psychedelic, evocative of the counter-culture scene of his time— exemplified in his humorous titles like Anti-aunt bomb crew (1971) or Wrinkle Pickle (1987–88). Influenced by the radical ideas and designs of architect Buckminster Fuller, Shields began incorporating geodesic-like tent structures in his work, such as Whirling Dervish (1968–70) and Dance Bag (1985). Shields was for a time a memorable figure in the New York art scene, known his hand-made clothes featuring colorful patterns and beads.

Shields was born and raised in Kansas, where he grew up working on his family farm. His mother and sisters taught him to sew, and this remained a lifelong skill he incorporated in his work. He never graduated college, but studied engineering, theater, and then art at Kansas State University, eventually leaving to move to New York. He emerged onto the art scene with a successful show in 1969 at Paula Cooper Gallery, which continued to exhibit his work for the rest of his life. He was the recipient of a 1973 Guggenheim Fellowship, and his work has entered the collections of many major institutions, including the Museum of Modern Art in New York, the Tehran Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, DC, among many others.

Shields died at the age of 61 on Tuesday, December 13, 2005 at his home on Shelter Island in New York.