Born and raised in Kansas, Alan Shields does not so much break the rules as choose to ignore them. His innovative work quickly brought notable successes with solo exhibitions in New York at Paula Cooper Gallery in 1969, 70, and 71, followed by the Whitney Biennial (1973), and the Venice Biennale (1976), all of which confirmed his position as one of the leading artists of his generation. He recently had a double show in New York at Nicholas Davies Gallery and Paula Cooper Gallery. His work has found enormous success worldwide.