SPENCER  SCHMIDT

My artwork could currently be defined as an exploration of self and the human figure. In this body of work, those broad terms are directed towards this idea of physicality and what it means to exist in— and be attentive to— the world around us. Two-dimensional artworks have dominated my artistic practice thus far, but this season of investigation has pushed my art to explore making sculptural work as well. This new body of work consists of metal sculptures dealing with physicality and space. They are then paired with large-scale, intricate drawings of the sculptures themselves. By pairing a medium that I know well with one that I am just beginning to explore, it seems to create a lot of room for reflection and discovery in the work.

These sculptures emerged from an attempt to “doodle” in the third dimension— to make a body of work that is loose and somewhat organic using a material as rugged as steel. Taking control of such a material is an innately physical process, and allowed me to better understand my own physicality. The metal structures were born out of the idea of the internal self-exploration being conveyed through external action. By spending time contending with my own physicality, I am attempting to gain new insights on sculpture and the metal I am handling. More importantly, though, the process tends to make me more aware of my own presence in relation to my artwork— and subsequently, the world around me.

I decided to double-down on this concept of attentiveness with the large-format drawings. I was made aware that my hope for the sculptures was for the viewers to spend time with the work, tracing the same lines that I spent hours twisting, and trying to understand the metal in some of the ways that I had come to understand it. The attention I am giving the sculptures comes with an appreciation for this relatively bleak structure and the atmosphere surrounding it. The graphite drawings came from a borderline possessive desire to spend more time than anyone with my artwork. Rendering the sculptures back in the 2nd dimension creates an interesting dialogue between the pieces. 

RENDER II, 2022



STAND I, 2022