Mike Shine

Mike Shine’s projects include large-scale street murals, extensive installations, and performances—each united beneath his mythical character creation, Dr. Pyotr Mastolf Ilyas (Dr. Flotsam, for short). Mastolf Ilyas is Shine’s modern- day version of Mephistopheles, crafted in the persona of a centuries-old eastern European carnival leader.

Dr. Flotsam and his carny troupe have been traveling the world for centuries, selling Hell Brew tonic, thereby granting unsuspecting “marks” their wildest dreams and collecting their souls in return. These transactions are often manipu- lated by the Doctor, and he hints at his grand purpose (the World Riddle) by dropping tips into the paintings, murals, and performances.

Shine’s installations have been featured at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the San Francisco Museum of Craft and Folk Art, the Laguna Art Museum, 941 Geary in San Francisco, White Walls in San Francisco, and the Corpo Gallery in Los Angeles.