User:Jeff Schneider/sandbox

www.oliversearsgallery.comwww.sofinearteditions.comwww.jeffschneidernyc.com

''“It is my intention to leave the viewer puzzled as to where and how meaning lies between relationships. To question the nature and possibility of unity through representational and abstract concepts.”'' Jeff Schneider

Jeff Schneider was born in Washington D.C. in 1960. Early on, Schneider showed a keen interest in photography often shooting up to 100 feet of black & white film a week. Increasingly tired of the "objectivity" of photography, through darkroom manipulations, Schneider began to essentially “abstract” the representational aspects of the camera lens. One of his professors, Oscar Bailey, at the University of South Florida suggested he enroll in a figure drawing and art theory class. Not long after these initial steps into fine art, Schneider attended the 1980 Picasso Retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City. This exhibition confirmed his desire to become an artist.

After he received his BFA in 1983 from Miami University, he worked as an Art Director in commercial design with the John K. Howe Company, painting at night in garages and basements until he acquired a studio in downtown Cincinnati. Soon after he was accepted into the graduate painting program at the University of Cincinnati. Working with Robert Knipschild and Frank Hermann he received his Master’s degree of Fine Art in 1989. Schneider moved to New York City in 1990 to pursue his career in art and quickly became an integral part of the vibrant painting scene there.

Early in New York, Schneider worked as a studio assistant for many of New Yorks most recognized artists, notably Moira Dryer, Ron Gorchov, Dorothea Rockburne, Janet Fish, Chuck Close and David Salle. Not only taking advantage of generational perspectives, this allowed the young artist to see first hand the inner workings of not only the relevant studios but also the gallery system that these artist’s worked within.

His early exhibitions included “Presentational Painting” curated by Sanford Wumfeld at Hunter College and the “East West Cultural Exhibition” curated by Robert Storr, a relationship that led to numerous projects with Storr at the Museum of Modern Art.

As scenes shifted, Schneider began to exhibit is work with a gallery in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. Formed by Leah Stuhltrager and Cris Dam. Schneider’s work was seen as “A blending of male androgyny and American pop cultural” his “Cowboy Philosopher, reinforced the patriarchal power dynamic juxtaposed with the sometimes vulnerable and otherwise unassuming female character.” The narratives struck a cord in the Brooklyn art scene and Schneider continued to exhibit through out the borough as well as, Manhattan. The relationship with Dam Stuhltrager Gallery led to his first international exhibition in Madrid, Spain. Schneider, along with Loren Munk, Cris Dam and William Powhida exhibited at Galeria ArteVeintiuno, curated by Javier Duero from the Museo Reina Sofia.

After the exhibition in Madrid Schneider began to focus on the European art scene which has led to two exhibitions with Hillsboro Fine Art in Dublin, Ireland. Aidan Dunne of the Irish Times declared Schneider’s work as “lively explorations of the mythology of the cowboy-gunslinger, treated humorously and with deftness of touch.” Schneider has continued to exhibit in Art Fairs and galleries through out Europe, as well as, exhibitions in Chicago, Miami and New York. He has exhibited with noted artists, Julian Schnabel, Ross Bleckner and Donald Baechler as well as other New York artists and has lectured on his work at Hunter College in New York and the Dun Laoghaire Institute of Art in Dublin.

The Oliver Sears Gallery represents Schneider’s work in Europe and in the United States.

He currently resides and works in New York City.