Genetic Discovery Manipulation

Untitled - 2017
Newsprint, tissue paper, gold foil, photocopy, acrylic, and pencil on cardstock
11 x 8.5 inches / 27.9 x 21.6 cm

Been sitting here reading old entries and thought I should write on here for my 'future' benefit. So tonight, last minute I submitted artworks to the Hapeville Art Walk—I plan to live in the arts district there soon. I submitted a construct painting (the 'White Rabbit' work) and 2 different series of 8 from the Drawings. Had to write statements about each work talking about what they have to do with the theme this year which is "!". I think these works fit that themes sentiment very well. I'm very familiar with the "!"... I know it all too well.

THOMAS ARTHUR SCHAEFER ARTIST STATEMENTS:

WORK TITLE 01:
Oh dear! Oh dear! Oh dear! or One Hundred and Ninety-two Firey Delusions

STATEMENT 01: 
The fiery audacity Alice displays chasing The White Rabbit thru Lewis Carroll's book 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' is one of many underlying themes in this work.

When humans consume sugar, an army of electric white rabbits jumps from region to region across the brain. In a wild fire of excitement, the cerebral cortex lights up reward pathways, causing a dopamine surge of feel-good hormones to be released.

This surge is the thrill Alice exhibited while chasing of The White Rabbit into Wonderland. But, high quantities and abnormal functioning dopamine are known to cause hallucinations and delusions. Alices visit to Wonderland is the wild fire that seeks to consume the nervously shilly-shallying White Rabbits world, piece by piece.

—

WORK TITLE 02:
Selected Works From The Drawing Series

STATEMENT 02:
These works are the 'Collision Chance'. Like base molecules smashing together to create new, as yet undiscovered molecules. Homonuclear and Heteronuclear elements combine to create something as yet undiscovered and unusual.

The 'Drawing Series' I have been working on between August of 2016 and now are compositions based on explorative organization and expletive eureka moments. Assembled at a rapid pace these works are an amalgam of discarded bits, pieces and chunks from my current work thru others some 30 years back in my career.

These works are a celebration of the forgotten few. Like a fantastic movie comprised of our favorite outside fringe actors—once assembled, the extraordinary cast, finely tuned by their director, delivers a Palme d'Or winning work.

The works celebrate an artists moment. These combined elements have survived the typical artists waste bin—they are here to celebrate the larger work itself. They are the 'almost lost pieces' of a greater puzzle. This current portion of the Drawing Series is my greater works symphony. Look at them closely, and you'll see the rhythm, read the pitch and smile at the melodies.