Ryan Schneider

An oil painter from a young age, Schneider has over time shifted his artistic focus to creating sculptures primarily out of wood using chainsaws, chisels, paint and other tools to create distinct works that are inherently crude and reminiscent of Southern California’s Mojave desert. Schneider spent 14 years living and working in New York City before relocating to Joshua Tree, California in 2015. What began as a three-month stay with his wife in the desert land soon turned into a permanent residency, the change of pace, perspective, and attitude positively transforming Schneider’s practice in undeniable ways.

Deeply inspired by the various natural elements and lifeforms that he intimately encounters daily at his open-air studio, Schneider relies on simplicity in his work and employs the foundational tools of his painting practice in his approach to sculptural forms. Mentally and physically reconnecting with the natural world, Schneider has found success in his personal and creative conquests by freeing himself of society’s pressures to be excellent and letting the universe run its course. In his work, the artist has come to master a perfect balance between manipulating the material and letting it shape its own destiny.

“I do not intend anything too specific as I work, but rather allow the particular piece of wood to dictate to me what it wants to be. I am more of a steward, bringing out its true form” says Schneider. Brightly colored and fascinatingly raw, Schneider’s work, above all, presents its viewer with a joyfully visceral experience.

B. 1980 in Indianapolis, IN; Lives and works in Joshua Tree, CA.