Fate, Choice and Desire

Description

Artist Reception: Friday, December 9th- 6-8pm.

In his new series of paintings, Bay Area artist Douglas Schneider examines the realities of humanity, in which choices are both elevated and hindered by personal geography and socioeconomic standing. He questions the balance one faces between control and abandonment of such circumstances. In a seemingly random concoction of images from city views, to vintage cars and snap shots of family photos, Schneider reflects upon both personal and societal choices that have shaped our present day reality. Schneider expresses his challenge in addressing narratives in his work that are seemingly disparate and yet inherently intertwined. Schneider notes that it took him years to develop a style in which narrative transitions made sense visually. Indeed, these paintings flow seamlessly in an almost dreamlike state whereby events are spontaneous and messages are hidden behind every object.

His under paintings, which simulate American Abstract Expressionism, are actually derived from extreme close-ups of abandoned American factories and houses. Other images reference American photo-journalism, family photos and art history. The random ordering of images creates whimsical non-linear narratives in which content is conveyed through associations and suggestions offered by multiple fragments. His style, which weaves between realism and abstraction, also serves to demonstrate the balancing act between control and abandonment of control. The element of choice is ever present in his reoccurring snapshots of past memories, nodding to his childhood growing up in the 50’s a world view through the lens of a flourishing American society.

"I try to paint in two or more styles at once in the hope of denying the absolute rightness of any one canon of beauty or truth. I mimic the manner of the media by simulating or appropriating, re-contextualizing and layering images and forms. This provides a strategy for demystifying or deconstructing aesthetic, social or economic systems that might still claim to embody universal, authoritative originality and truth."

More Info

Link

http://www.caldwellsnyder.com

Call

(415) 392-2299

Email

Contact Form (account required)