George Schneeman
Encyclopedia
George Schneeman was an American painter
who lived in Tuscany
, Italy
, and New York City
.
, and then began graduate work in English Literature at the University of Minnesota
. (George Schneeman, Cue Art Foundation, 2003) He then enlisted in the army. Having shown an aptitude for languages, he was posted to Verona
, Italy.
The following excerpt is from an autobiographical statement Schneeman wrote in 2007 on the occasion of an exhibition at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura:
In 1966, when it came time to decide whether our three boys were going to grow up as Americans or Tuscan peasants, we moved to New York City, where we have lived ever since. (George Schneeman, "Autobiographical Statement" George Schneeman in Italy, Instituto Italiano di Cultura, San Francisco 2011, p. 6)
In Italy, Schneeman had meet two young New York writers, Peter Schjeldahl
and Ron Padgett
. On his move to New York City, Schneeman immediately became part of a group of poets centered around the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery and began to work extensively with them, painting many portraits of these poets, producing flyers for their readings, covers for their books and collaborating with them extensively. Schneeman is known for being one of the most prolific collaborators in a milieu frequently characterized by its collaborative spirit; over approximately forty years, he collaborated on hundreds of pieces of art with, amongst others, Ted Berrigan
, Ann Waldman, Allen Ginsberg
, Larry Fagin
, Dick Gallup, Michael Brownstein, Lewis MacAdams
, Alice Notley
, Bill Berkson
, Tom Clark, Steve Katz, Ted Greenwald and Lewis Warsh
. Many of these collaborations were documented in Painter Among Poets: The Collaborative Art of George Schneeman, edited by Ron Padgett (Granary Books, 2004).
In the 1970s, Schneeman turned to fresco
painting, which he had learned in Italy, and in the 1980s, he began to paint on ceramics, eventually learning to throw and slip-cast his own ceramics. From the late 1990s onwards, he spent part of the year in Tuscany, Italy, where he began to paint landscapes once again.
Schneeman died of heart failure on January 27, 2009. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/arts/design/31schneeman.html )
, showing paintings and collages along with his ceramics. In 2006, he had a retrospective exhibition in a private home on the Lower East Side, which included a comprehensive selection of his work and various media: large figures on canvas, egg tempera landscapes on board, oil pastel drawings, fresco portraits, collages, ceramics, and missed media collaborations with poets. He received several grants and awards, including the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1969), a National Endowment for the Arts
grant (1980) and a grant from the Fund for Poetry (1996).
As Art in America
has noted, Schneeman was largely self-taught, and though his work was critically well received, he never experienced sustained commercial success during his life. (Art In America, April 2009) Schneeman was wary of art-world careerism, and viewed the relationship between his work as an artist and his broader life with family as friends as one; from his days as an Italian contadini (farmer) living a rural life in Tuscany, he designed and built most of his homes, including furniture, toys, musical instruments and dining ware. The art critic Peter Schjeldahl wrote about the close relationship between Schneeman’s art and life, commenting, “The art, craft, and design of George Schneeman are all of a piece, as if these disciplines had never been opposed…and otherwise split off from the flow of life. The light, slightly roughed-up sensuousness of his approach to everything and the homey frugality of his means have a common sense so uncommon it’s exotic. His work is good in the sense of good quality and also in the sense of goodness, a humanly right relation of parts to whole… It’s about pleasure as a habit…” (Introduction, "The Home Plate Show" 1983). The poet Ron Padgett, a friend and long-time collaborator, has written of Schneeman’s art that, “It is beautiful – mild, balanced, well-drawn, firm, straightforward, and sometimes serene. It is also light, modern, attractive, clear, and likeable. It is not outrageous, declamatory, shocking, sneering, trendy, bizarre, or shrill. It is good. Sometimes it is affectionate.” (Padgett, quoted by Bill Berkson, in Painter Among Poets, edited by Ron Padgett, Granary Books, New York 2004, p. 96.)
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
who lived in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
, and New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Life and work
George Schneeman was born on March 11, 1934 in St. Paul, MN. He received a B.A. in Philosophy and English Literature from St Mary’s College, Winona, MNWinona, Minnesota
Winona is a city in and the county seat of Winona County, in the U.S. State of Minnesota. Located in picturesque bluff country on the Mississippi River, its most noticeable physical landmark is Sugar Loaf....
, and then began graduate work in English Literature at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. (George Schneeman, Cue Art Foundation, 2003) He then enlisted in the army. Having shown an aptitude for languages, he was posted to Verona
Verona
Verona ; German Bern, Dietrichsbern or Welschbern) is a city in the Veneto, northern Italy, with approx. 265,000 inhabitants and one of the seven chef-lieus of the region. It is the second largest city municipality in the region and the third of North-Eastern Italy. The metropolitan area of Verona...
, Italy.
The following excerpt is from an autobiographical statement Schneeman wrote in 2007 on the occasion of an exhibition at the Instituto Italiano di Cultura:
In 1966, when it came time to decide whether our three boys were going to grow up as Americans or Tuscan peasants, we moved to New York City, where we have lived ever since. (George Schneeman, "Autobiographical Statement" George Schneeman in Italy, Instituto Italiano di Cultura, San Francisco 2011, p. 6)
In Italy, Schneeman had meet two young New York writers, Peter Schjeldahl
Peter Schjeldahl
Peter Schjeldahl, , is an American art critic, poet, and educator.Schjeldahl was born in Fargo, North Dakota. He grew up in small towns throughout Minnesota, and attended Carleton College and The New School...
and Ron Padgett
Ron Padgett
Ron Padgett is an American poet, essayist, fiction writer, translator, and a member of the New York School. Bean Spasms, Padget's first collection of poems, was published in 1967 and written with Ted Berrigan...
. On his move to New York City, Schneeman immediately became part of a group of poets centered around the St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery and began to work extensively with them, painting many portraits of these poets, producing flyers for their readings, covers for their books and collaborating with them extensively. Schneeman is known for being one of the most prolific collaborators in a milieu frequently characterized by its collaborative spirit; over approximately forty years, he collaborated on hundreds of pieces of art with, amongst others, Ted Berrigan
Ted Berrigan
-Early life:Berrigan was born in Providence, Rhode Island, on November 15, 1934. After high school, he spent a year at Providence College before joining the U.S. Army in 1954 to serve in the Korean War. After three years in the Army, he finished his college studies at the University of Tulsa in...
, Ann Waldman, Allen Ginsberg
Allen Ginsberg
Irwin Allen Ginsberg was an American poet and one of the leading figures of the Beat Generation in the 1950s. He vigorously opposed militarism, materialism and sexual repression...
, Larry Fagin
Larry Fagin
Larry Fagin is an American poet, editor, publisher, and teacher, and a member of the New York School.-Biography:Born in Far Rockaway, New York City, Fagin grew up in New York, Hollywood, and Europe. He began associating with other poets and writers in 1957, meeting David Meltzer in Los Angeles,...
, Dick Gallup, Michael Brownstein, Lewis MacAdams
Lewis MacAdams
Lewis MacAdams is an American poet, journalist, political activist, and filmmaker who lives in Los Angeles, California.-Life and work:...
, Alice Notley
Alice Notley
Alice Notley is an American poet. She was born in Bisbee, Arizona and grew up in Needles, California. She received a B.A. from Barnard College in 1967 and an M.F.A. from the Iowa Writers' Workshop at the University of Iowa in 1969. She married poet Ted Berrigan in 1972, with whom she was active in...
, Bill Berkson
Bill Berkson
Bill Berkson is an American poet, critic, teacher and sometime curator, who has been active in the art and literary worlds since his early twenties.-Life:Born in New York on August 30, 1939, Bill Berkson grew up on Manhattan’s Upper...
, Tom Clark, Steve Katz, Ted Greenwald and Lewis Warsh
Lewis Warsh
Lewis Warsh was born in 1944 in the Bronx, New York. He is co-founder, with Anne Waldman, of Angel Hair Magazine and Books, and co-editor, with Bernadette Mayer, of United Artists Magazine and Books...
. Many of these collaborations were documented in Painter Among Poets: The Collaborative Art of George Schneeman, edited by Ron Padgett (Granary Books, 2004).
In the 1970s, Schneeman turned to fresco
Fresco
Fresco is any of several related mural painting types, executed on plaster on walls or ceilings. The word fresco comes from the Greek word affresca which derives from the Latin word for "fresh". Frescoes first developed in the ancient world and continued to be popular through the Renaissance...
painting, which he had learned in Italy, and in the 1980s, he began to paint on ceramics, eventually learning to throw and slip-cast his own ceramics. From the late 1990s onwards, he spent part of the year in Tuscany, Italy, where he began to paint landscapes once again.
Schneeman died of heart failure on January 27, 2009. (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/arts/design/31schneeman.html )
Reception and critical assessment
Schneeman showed at the Holly Solomon Gallery from 1976 through 1982, and at the Donahue / Sosinski in 2002 and 2002. From 1982 till 1996, he mounted his own solo exhibitions every two years at his studio on the Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
, showing paintings and collages along with his ceramics. In 2006, he had a retrospective exhibition in a private home on the Lower East Side, which included a comprehensive selection of his work and various media: large figures on canvas, egg tempera landscapes on board, oil pastel drawings, fresco portraits, collages, ceramics, and missed media collaborations with poets. He received several grants and awards, including the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters (1969), a National Endowment for the Arts
National Endowment for the Arts
The National Endowment for the Arts is an independent agency of the United States federal government that offers support and funding for projects exhibiting artistic excellence. It was created by an act of the U.S. Congress in 1965 as an independent agency of the federal government. Its current...
grant (1980) and a grant from the Fund for Poetry (1996).
As Art in America
Art in America
Art in America is an illustrated monthly, international magazine concentrating on the contemporary art world, including profiles of artists and genres, updates about art movements, show reviews and event schedules. It is designed for collectors, artists, dealers, art professionals and other...
has noted, Schneeman was largely self-taught, and though his work was critically well received, he never experienced sustained commercial success during his life. (Art In America, April 2009) Schneeman was wary of art-world careerism, and viewed the relationship between his work as an artist and his broader life with family as friends as one; from his days as an Italian contadini (farmer) living a rural life in Tuscany, he designed and built most of his homes, including furniture, toys, musical instruments and dining ware. The art critic Peter Schjeldahl wrote about the close relationship between Schneeman’s art and life, commenting, “The art, craft, and design of George Schneeman are all of a piece, as if these disciplines had never been opposed…and otherwise split off from the flow of life. The light, slightly roughed-up sensuousness of his approach to everything and the homey frugality of his means have a common sense so uncommon it’s exotic. His work is good in the sense of good quality and also in the sense of goodness, a humanly right relation of parts to whole… It’s about pleasure as a habit…” (Introduction, "The Home Plate Show" 1983). The poet Ron Padgett, a friend and long-time collaborator, has written of Schneeman’s art that, “It is beautiful – mild, balanced, well-drawn, firm, straightforward, and sometimes serene. It is also light, modern, attractive, clear, and likeable. It is not outrageous, declamatory, shocking, sneering, trendy, bizarre, or shrill. It is good. Sometimes it is affectionate.” (Padgett, quoted by Bill Berkson, in Painter Among Poets, edited by Ron Padgett, Granary Books, New York 2004, p. 96.)
External links
- George Schneeman - Selected Collaborations with Poets (42 images)
- George Schneeman - Selected Book & Flyer Art - (44 images). “Mr. Schneeman produced hundreds of collaborative pieces that were neither pure visual art nor pure verbal art but something tantalizingly indefinable between the two." The New York Times, January 31, 2009
- George Schneeman - Enduring Presence
- http://www.cueartfoundation.org/george-schneeman.html
- http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/31/arts/design/31schneeman.html