About

Peter Schenck (B. 1983, New York, NY)

Contact: schenckp@gmail.com

Artist Statement

My new paintings feature elements of still life and portraiture that poke fun at the human condition and the inward life of the studio artist. Paint brushes, palettes, skulls, leaves, pedestals, fruit, sculpture, and references to myself as an artist all jostle for attention in my world of gallows humor. The studio space is where I grapple with and process the chaos of the world around me. I distill life, death, joy, sadness, and humor into visual introspections. The paintings have become thought labyrinths of mouths, eyeballs, arms, hands, bugs and paint tools, all feverishly composed within monstrous, yet comically, bulbous heads and figures.

I've become interested in painting large heads that serve as containers for all the forms and ideas I want to drop into my work. These heads become boulder-like, imposing their heavy baggage on the center of the canvas. I've been fascinated with the rocky Italian landscapes of Guston's 1970 Roma Series, and how he created these craggy receptacles for his new figuration springing up in the late 1960's. I began to think about how his language could be mixed with my interest in Leger, Picasso, and Vanitas Dutch still life. These heads are often camouflaged by still life elements or cubist forms, gazing straight ahead for validation or perhaps a helping hand, while intertwined with the tools of their trade (brushes, palettes, and pencils) in an attempt to show their vocation and their worth. They also seek out the power of connection.

Biography:

Peter Schenck (b. 1983, New York, NY) lives and paints in Brooklyn, NY.  He received his BFA from Boston University (2006) and his MFA from the University of Pennsylvania (2009).  Schenck has exhibited his work internationally and nationally, including: Tales of Art Gallery (Imola, Italy), The Dot Project Gallery (London), Galerie Sebastien Adrien (Paris), Young International Artists Art Fair (Paris, FR), Freight + Volume Gallery (NYC), BravinLee Programs (NYC), Andrew Edlin Gallery (NYC), Equity Gallery (NYC), Planthouse Gallery (NYC), Arts + Leisure Gallery (NYC), Lesley Heller Workspace (NYC), Park Place Gallery (Brooklyn), Good Naked Gallery (Brooklyn), Lorimoto Gallery (Queens), The Delaware Contemporary Museum (Wilmington, DE), Tyler School of Art (Philadelphia), Vox Populi Gallery (Philadelphia), TSA Gallery (Brooklyn), Victori + Mo Gallery (Brooklyn), Readymade Gallery (Orleans, MA), Airlock Gallery (San Marcos, CA), HOLA Fresh Start (Santa Monica), and The Santa Barbara Center for Art, Science, and Technology (Santa Barbara, CA).  He has been an Artist in Residence at The Vermont Studio Center (Johnson, VT) in 2015 and the DNA Residency (Provincetown, MA) from 2016 - 2024.  Schenck has been featured in publications such as The New York Times, Timeout New York, Juxtapoz Magazine, Two Coats of Paint, Wall Street International Magazine, Elephant Magazine, #FFFFFF Walls, and the Painting is Dead Blog.