Landscape Paintings 1 and 2

These paintings  were constructed after looking at buildings and en in and around my Brooklyn neighborhood.  In these paintings I use stylized images for both the buildings and the trees and concerned about the overall feeling of the work.  Like my other paintings these works are large shaped oils on canvas which hangs from the wall down onto the floor.  I choose  to use mesh to help illustrate the imagery of snow  as in "Snowy Rooftops" and darkness as in the painting "Nightscape". 

"Nightscape"

Oil On Canvas with Mesh

8' X 4.5'

 


This landscape painting is an illustration of a city night scene.  I was interested in using blues, greens, reds and purples to create this evening scene.  Again I chose to use a dark mesh to enhance the feeling of darkness.

 

"Snowy Rooftops"

Oil On Canvas with Mesh

9' X 4.5'

 


This is a winter scene representing buildings with geometric rooftops and stylized tree imagery.  This painting incorporates the white mesh highlighting the element of snow.

"Winter Storm"

Oil On Canvas with Mesh

7.5' X 4.5'

 


I was still fascinated with buildings in Brooklyn, particular in winter.  This painting not only shows the building but also winter clouds and footprints (my actual footprints) in the snow.  I was interested in presenting the rooftops as dominating white geometric shapes.  It was also important to add another element to add to the imagery of snow, in this case the white mesh.

"Brooklyn Streets"

Oil On Canvas

9' X 3.5'

 

 

This painting was from a study of Brooklyn streets.  The hot black summer streets where building are butted up against one another

"Brooklyn Brick"

Oil On Canvas with Bricks

6' X 4.5'

 


I decided to paint this 3 panel painting while studying brick building in Brooklyn.  I was struck by the various colors of the building from yellows, reds and browns.  The bricks are constructed out of Styrofoam and painted to simulate bricks

 

About My Work

I have always been concerned about the way people viewed painting.   However, sculpture was the art form that drew my attention due to its three dimensional quality, enticing me into its own environment.  

 

I wanted to do the same thing with my paintings and drawings, bring the viewer into the art works environment.  That is the reason I allow the paintings to flow onto the floor space into the viewers space.  In the still life drawings I like to hang the tables with their legs almost touch the floor, after all table legs do touch the floor.


Framed paintings always created a distance between me and the work.  Someone said to me that looking at painting was like looking through a window into someone’s private life, a voyeur. 


The element of art which always drew my attention was the emotional and psychological content.  This became a way for me to express myself, often dealing with personal experiences.


“Anthropomorphic” is the best way to describe my work, giving human qualities to non-human objects. The painting “Self Portrait with Apple” is a good example.  It is a table with elements of me, paint brushes and tubes in container with my name on it as well as other objects. On the table legs are an actual pair of my old socks and shoes.    


Some of my art work is “in your face” works.  Such a work is “Milliner with Colostomy” which is a look at a real individual and a part of life people want to push aside.  Not all the art work is accepted.  Maybe it touches a cord that is difficult to experience.

Tom Schneider