Thomas Shahan has recently become somewhat of a local celebrity around Norman. He was featured in the October issue of Popular Photography Magazine and interviewed on the Today Show a few weeks back for his macro bug photography. Not only is he a great photographer, but he is a spectacular printmaker and all around artist. Check out his vintage guitar website here, and his Youtube page here.

Where are you from?
Tulsa, more or less.

What do you do?
Macrophotography, Astrophotography, draw/paint, buy/sell/collect vintage electric guitars, make music… I have no job.

Who or what do you use for inspiration?
I’m not sure if I can answer this one – everything is worthwhile and equally inspiring.

What artists do you respect right now?
Most people I respect are not artists. Wayne Maddison, a Zoologist who specializes in salticids, has done some amazing work with documenting and studying the jumping spiders of the world.

What are you sick of?
Many more things than I will tell anyone – there’s no benefit to complaining.

What music are you listening to recently?
Exuma, The Shangri-Las, The Band, Del Shannon, The Chocolate Watchband, Bee Gees, The Ronettes, The Kinks, Bo Diddley, The Carpenters, The Seeds, The Small Faces, The Zombies, Wilbert Harrison, The Move, T-Rex, Procol Harum, Gary Glitter, Cat Stevens, The Sonics, The Gants, Paul Revere & The Raiders, The Music Machine, Fairport Convention, Love, Family, Mississippi Fred McDowell, Los Saicos, Hank Williams, Cliff Carlisle, Son House, Charley Patton, Johnny Horton, Tammy Wynette, Canned Heat, Sonic Youth, Captain Beefheart and The Magic Band, Little Richard, Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons, Slim Whitman, The Troggs, Shirley Collins, Beach Boys, Tommy James & The Shondells, The Stooges.

What is your first creative memory?
Maybe not a “creative memory”, but my earliest memories are some dreams I had about the animals in my backyard when I was about 4 or so. I wasn’t afraid of them – I just felt they were more intelligent than me.

What is your favorite food/drank spot in Norman?
I don’t really go out at all – so I can honestly say I don’t have an answer to this one.

Anything else?
Forget The Beatles – The Kinks were the greatest group of the 60’s (next to the Beach Boys of course)