My work illuminates transformative moments of spiritual connection to nature, rooted in the serenity I find in the sinuous elegance of organic forms. I photograph intuitively to make the intangible tangible, creating impressions of fleeting moments of vanishing beauty in our vulnerable environment to honor the ephemeral. Informed by a background in painting and art history, my images are layered digitally with color and texture to manipulate the boundaries between the real and imagined, then printed on translucent papers and backed with thin sheets of white gold, moon gold or 24k gold leaf, creating a luminosity that varies as the light transitions. My process infuses the artist’s hand and suffuses the subjects with the implied spirituality of the precious metals – engaging the ethereal to heighten awareness of what we have and what we are losing, and ensuring each print is a unique object of reverence.
In ‘Evenings with the Moon’ I contemplate the power of universal experiences to unify and find transcendence. My images of the night draw on the moon as muse and the juxtaposition of darkness and light to express our shared longing for freedom, peace, love, and harmony amidst the chaos of the world. The gilded prints echo the luminosity of their celestial inspiration. This synthesis of form and content, paired with poetry and music, encourages the viewer to consider the commonalities in our collective consciousness. We all live under the same moon.
Bio:
Wendi Schneider is a Denver-based visual artist best known for her ‘States of Grace’ series – combining photography and precious metals to create impressions of vanishing grace in the natural world. Her work is influenced by her collection of turn-of-the-twentieth-century art and objects, the lush landscapes of Memphis, New Orleans and New York, and a background in painting and art history. Her work has been exhibited in solo and group exhibitions worldwide including AIPAD and Art Basel. Published, awarded and collected internationally, Schneider’s photographs are held in the permanent collections of the New Orleans Museum of Art, the Center for Creative Photography, the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, and Auburn University Library Special Collections, among others. She is represented by A Gallery for Fine Photography (New Orleans); Arnika Dawkins Gallery (Atlanta); Catherine Couturier Gallery (Houston), Galeria PhotoGraphic (San Miguel de Allende), Rick Wester Fine Art (New York City); and Vision Gallery (Jerusalem).
