Julian Schnabel

Julian Schnabel - Adieu - 1996 - Oil and resin on canvas - 96 x 96 in. - Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.Julian Schnabel (born 1951) was one of the artists who worked to restore painting to its pre-abstraction status. He and other of his contemporaries “balanced technical concerns with emotional resonance”. Contradicting the highly intellectualized movements of Minimalism and Conceptual Art—Schnabel’s art is filled (in some cases to excess) with both emotion and materials. He first became known for his paintings on velvet and for canvases whose surfaces were built up of shattered crockery and other found materials. He is one of the rare artists who enjoyed instant  international success with his work, in part because he emerged during a time when aggressive marketing and attention was being paid to the business of selling art. 

Schnabel's work frequently features religious imagery— particularly Catholic iconography and themes. Living in Texas with his family placed him close to the Mexican border, and he became very familiar with Mexican and Meso-American cultural and religious practices. These influences, along with references to pop culture, are reflected in his art.

"When you make art, people try to stop you from doing it, and everything's sort of designed to stop you from doing it. So the fact that it exists is a wonderful thing.” - Julian Schnabel