Arnika Dawkins Gallery is pleased to present States of Grace, a solo exhibition featuring a series of stunning photographic gilded pigment prints by Denver-based photographer Wendi Schneider. Drawn to the serenity she finds in elegant organic forms, Schneider creates unique objects of reverence to preserve vanishing beauty in our vulnerable environment.
In States of Grace, I illuminate beauty amidst the chaos. I’m calmed by the simplicity of a graceful line and the stillness of the suspended moment and am compelled to share an impression of the serenity I find there. I capture the ephemeral movement of light on organic forms to preserve that mystical moment that stills time for me. Photographing intuitively – what I feel, as much as what I see – and informed by a background in painting and art history, I portray a personal interpretation by layering the images digitally with color and texture to find balance between the real and the imagined.
Schneider is a photographic artist who seeks beauty in a world that challenges our sense of inner peace. Her intuitive photographs center around “illuminated images inspired by the grace of organic forms: flora, fauna, and figura.” Seeking balance between the real and imagined, Schneider layers images digitally with color and texture. White gold, 24k gold, or silver leaf is then applied to the back of the print, creating a silken luminosity on the print’s surface.
Each image is unique, differing in color or texture, and, as the effect of gilding inherently varies, resulting in photographic objects that shimmer with luminosity and elegance. Schneider helps us find our way back to beauty one image at a time.
Born in Memphis, TN in 1955, Schneider holds an AA in Art History from Stephens College and a BA in Painting from Newcomb College at Tulane. Schneider’s photographs have been exhibited and collected internationally and are held in permanent collections at New Orleans Museum of Art, Memphis Brooks Museum, Auburn University Library Collection, Try-Me, and numerous private collections.
Arnika Dawkins Gallery is devoted to presenting fine art from both emerging and established photographers, specializing in images created by artists from African Diaspora as well as images of people of African descent. Launched in 2012, the gallery's objective is to provide an educational platform that supports this burgeoning community of artists.