A New Line of Thinking, Recent Sculpture by Robert Schatz, Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, NE, January 16 - April 26, 2015.

"Known previously for his lyrical paintings and drawings informed by physical movementnt, artist Robert Schatz has, in his latest body of work, begun to explore the third dimension.  Using humble materials, Schatz crafts intriquing objects that index his decision-making process.  Beginning with no preconceived idea for form, the artist manipulates his materials intuitively, allowing their natural inclinations to manifest.  Schatz intends his sculpture as a response to the fast-paced, pixel-mediated, jet-set lifestyle of 21st-century culture.  Capitalizing on the similarity of his forms to the snarl of string in the back of the odd kitchen drawer, the artist aims to 'entangle' the viewer, evoking curiosity and mental attempts to 'unravel' the conundrum at hand.  Given the artist's interest in Eastern thought, the very present 'thing'-ness of specific objects of contemplation, like Chinese scholar stones, also seems applicable here.  Perhaps American modernist Georgia O'Keeffe summed it up best: 'The [work of art] is like a thread that runs through all the reasons for the other things that make one's life.'  In his sculpture, Robert Schatz encourages us to reflect upon just that."

Exhibition brochure with artist interview (downloadable PDF):

http://media.icompendium.com/robertsc_ANewLineOfThinking.pdf

Photography courtesy of Sheldon Museum.