January 11 – February 10, 2018
Opening Reception, Saturday, January 13th
Oakland Art Murmur Art Walk Artists’ Reception, February 2nd, 6-9 pm
The works of Jeff Snell & Tiffany Schmierer share an aesthetic sensibility that embraces densely packed forms and textures. Both artists derive inspiration from the fast-moving nature of contemporary culture and the natural environment. Snell’s painting/constructions and Schmierer’s sculptures deftly combine representation and abstraction, employing imagery of architecture and other human construction. Both artists also rely on improvisatory processes to resolve their complex and engaging artworks.
Jeff Snell thinks of his new work in this exhibit as 3-dimensional paintings. His dynamic compositions include cannily built up cardboard forms, thick textural passages, and loose brushwork. All of these contribute to the richness and fierce kinetic energy inherent in the work. These pieces seem to reflect the relentless complexity of current culture as well as a connection to elemental life forces.
Tiffany Schmierer’s sculptures are primarily ceramic, but include elaborately developed surfaces. These might include multiple firings of glazes & underglazes, textures, carving, and painted, drawn, or photographic imagery. Like Snell, Schmierer’s work is informed by both the urban and the natural environments, and amalgamates visual information absorbed from the San Francisco Bay land- and cityscapes.
