Image: War Helmet, acrylic on canvas © Andrew Schoultz
The show title and theme “Cyclical Nature”, is a perpetual consideration for artist Andrew Schoultz, who is intrigued by the ramifications of repetition in all aspects of world crisis. This new painting series on exhibit at the leading edge Mark Moore Gallery in Culver City has two distinct styles: turbulent story-telling imagery, and depictions of early European war helmets.
Schoultz merges these in the artistic treasure: “Cataclysmic War Helmet”. In this painting, Andrew Schoultz generates maximum momentum with mixed media that crosses futuristic and graphic pop genres. This combination contains multiple genre imagery such as pop comic circles and bricks exploding with the ancient – war helmet, guard horses and pottery – all three painted with modern techniques. In “Cataclysmic War Helmet”, tumultuous imagery comprises arrows to a third eye and a signatory blue vase at the triangular shaped mouth, asking the question as to where this is all going? We are spewing out/discussing, while taking in/accepting the same theories about war that have in turn been blowing us apart for centuries. Schoultz is showing us that this repetitive conversation and thinking process is our destruction.
Cataclysmic War Helmet, mixed media on canvas over panel © Andrew Schoultz
Our lives are part of conditioned thinking and behavior patterns, as with the show title piece, Cyclical Nature. In this painting, figures and objects are seamlessly pulled along into a tornado. Nonetheless, the objects, smoke circles and other shapes, are delicately placed collage-like, with structured lines that produce the whirlwind. Schoultz creates a complexity of arrangement alongside thematic patterns of recurrences.
Cyclical Nature, mixed media on canvas © Andrew Schoultz
“The show title “Cyclical Nature” has been an ongoing theme in my work. It has to do with the cyclical nature of History, and how it is in constant repetition. The wars fought all over the world are the same wars that have been going on for centuries… Generally speaking in the show there are two types of works. War Helmets are a brand new direction for this show and then there are very chaotic multi layered pieces more indicative of the work that people are familiar with from me. All the paintings sort of relate to this “Cyclical” aspect of history. Aesthetically the War Helmets look very different from my previous work, but conceptually they are very much connected to it and about the same things,” says Schoultz.
In the War Helmet paintings, one is struck by the initial weathered appearance of an iron helmet, juxtaposed with an up close look to see Schoultz’s contemporary painterly technique. His interest in the crusader motif, crusader horses in many paintings as an exemplary image, is given a new representation.
“The helmets were all dilapidated and rotting to some degree, but very much still intact. They displayed the exact energy I was looking for. These religious wars of the past are much the same wars still being fought today and for me these “War helmets” act as perfect symbols, of this “Cyclical Nature” of war. Of course I have interpreted these helmets in my own personal ways,” says Schoultz.
War Helmet, acrylic on canvas © Andrew Schoultz
War Helmet, acrylic on canvas stretched over panel © Andrew Schoultz
Although war is a strong element of Andrew Shoultz’s paintings, concepts of freedom and monetary value play a leading roll in other works, such as “Floating in the Green”. In this painting, a cross section of objects and time periods and art genres converge with Schoultz’s specific reference points. Hovering images of brick slabs and metal cylinders, dollar bill pieces and ancient vases that contain comic pop flowers reveal abstract expressionism meets the comic/pop arts.
Floating In The Green, acrylic, gouache, collage, approximately 10K shredded US currency on canvas © Andrew Schoultz
Says Schoultz, “The common theme in “Floating in the Green” is the idea of patterns broken or intact, that are formed through a repetition of symbols and imagery. The painting is coated in $10,000 in shredded American currency and one of the main image components is a slave ship floating from a parachute that is also constructed from American Currency as well as other currency from around the world. Currency by itself really has no monetary value… “
“There is extreme chaos and crisis happening on many different levels everywhere in this world. They are all connected: the environment, globalization, the economy, war, human rights, etc. I would say this is the common theme in this particular work as well.”
Art notifies the public about war in a new way, such as the Spanish Civil War through Picasso’s ‘Guernica”. Art also delivers a message about humanity and the way we perceive human rights, war and money. Schoult’s work forces us to re-evaluate our conditioned way of thinking.
“I mean, a lot of the gnarly stuff going on has little or no effect on the day-to-day lives of most people living in western societies,” says Schoultz, “However as time goes on, we notice the repercussions and we feel their effects in some way or another. No one is exempt… This feels like a reason to make art for me.”
