Wendi Schneider’s “States of Grace” will showcase in the Griffin Gallery of the Griffin Museum on March 6th through April 10, 2018. The reception will be March 8th from 7 – 8:30 PM. Wendi will do an informal talk on “States of Grace” at 6:15 PM.

Artist’s Statement

In States of Grace, I illuminate beauty amidst the chaos. I’m calmed by the simplicity of a graceful line and the stillness of the suspended moment and am compelled to share an impression of the serenity I find there. I capture the ephemeral movement of light on organic forms, to preserve that mystical moment that stills time for me. Photographing intuitively – what I feel, as much as what I see – and informed by a background in painting and art history, I portray a personal interpretation by layering the images digitally with color and texture, to find balance between the real and the imagined.

The images are printed digitally with archival pigment ink on vellum. White gold, silver or 24k gold leaf is then applied behind the image, creating a silken luminosity on the print’s surface. Throughout history, civilizations have prized the use of precious metals for their beauty and sanctity. The leafing process suffuses the intrinsic value of the treasured subjects with the implied spirituality of the gold. The perception of luminosity varies as the viewer’s position and ambient light change. Within the limited edition, the prints may differ in color or texture, and, as the effect of gilding inherently varies, each of the limited edition prints is unique.

Paula Tognarelli, executive director of the Griffin Museum says, “There is an elegance that emanates from Wendi Schneider’s photographs. It can be seen in the turn of a flamingo’s neck, in hanging fog or flick of a betta fish tail. Schneider’s photographic gestures are not rare sightings but daily gifts from the natural world for those with the patience to see them.”

About the Artist

“I’m still drawn to the scent of oils and turpentine. The aroma evokes glimpses of my mother and grandmother at their easels at my childhood home in Memphis, coffee-with-chicory nights in the Newcomb studios in New Orleans, the inherited easel by the window overlooking Park and 35th St. in New York, and finally to it’s current home in Denver. I tend to see the world in vignettes, and am calmed by the visual balance of a good composition. I struggle to balance my need for solitude with time for interaction, and my anxieties with confidence. After years of creating images for book covers, Victoria Magazine and others, designing for print and web, art directing, and various artistic endeavors, I’m compelled to share an impression of the serenity I find in the simplicity of a graceful, organic line and the stillness of a suspended moment. My current work employs only tools of the earlier process – the luscious, soft brushes, nestled near my mother’s paint-splattered easel.”

Wendi Schneider is a visual artist currently working in photography and precious metals. Born in Memphis, she holds an AA in Art History from Stephens College in Columbia, MO and a BA in Painting from Newcomb/Tulane in New Orleans. She turned to photography in the early ‘80s to capture moments of her models for her paintings. Missing the sensuality of oils, she began layering glazes on her photographs to create a more personal interpretation. After she photographed, designed and produced the award-winning re-creation of the 1901 Picayune’s Creole Cook Book for The Times-Picayune, she moved to New York, where she photographed nearly 100 book covers and was a major contributor to the original Victoria Magazine. She moved to Denver in 1994, and after several decades of photography, design and art direction for clients, she recently returned to fine art photography.

Gilded vellum photographs from her current series States of Grace have been exhibited in more than 60 venues, including A Gallery For Fine Photography, The Griffin Museum of Photography and the Berlin Foto Biennale, and featured in Diffusion, B&W Magazine, Silvershotz, Adore Chroma, and as a Rule Breaker on Don’t Take Pictures. A Critical Mass finalist in 2017, Schneider has been honored by the International Photography Awards, the International Color Awards, the Gala Awards and the Julia Margaret Cameron Awards. She is represented by A Gallery For Fine Photography in New Orleans and Galeria Photo/Graphic in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico.

Website

LENSCRATCH Wendi Schneider