Modernist Contemporary: Art by Robert Schaad
Hidden Meeting., acrylic on canvas
Robert Schaad studied art in New York, absorbing numerous musical and visual influences that inform his current practice. The artist’s “modernist contemporary” artworks are a blend of various styles and eras, relying on bright colors and gestural forms to create movement-filled images.
Serpentry, Carpentry, Pageantry, acrylic and ink on paper
I like looking through Robert’s portfolio and seeing all of the different substrates that he experiments with. One gallery features paintings of a variety of materials including linen, masonite, and even nylon. While the artist maintains a fairly consistent style throughout all these works, the subtle differences that are invoked by the different surfaces give the reader an interesting look into the material existence of the paintings.
I find that the artist’s works on paper show off his more frantic, impulsive aesthetic side. These works, often combining multiple media such as acrylic, ink and collage, show a less restrained side of Robert’s practice and style. A combination of subdued colors, modernist lines and overlapping shapes form fascinating self-contained abstractions.
