Clothing wholesaler and Art
"Brighter than you thought "
by
Rob Schafer
Oils on canvas
5-7 October 2012
TAP Gallery
278 Palmer Street
Darlinghurst Sydney 2010
ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION:
Rob Schafer is an ocean man. His life revolves around the sea, in the
surf, on a board, deep underwater. He also happens to be an artist. One
who is inspired by the flaired imaginations of impassioned Spaniards
like Goya, Dali and Picasso. His oils on canvas imbue the wild beast
enthusiasm and abandon of the Fauves while being heavily influenced by
retro Japanese Godzilla movies and gnarly dinosaurs of the Jurassic era.
Decorative forms and an expressive language of colour, as seen on over
40 canvases, herald his first international solo exhibition as one to
experience.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Born in Cronulla in 1964, Rob moved up the coast to Bondi Beach where he
lived for a decade making his mark with the creation of "Bondi
Nightsurfing" with celebrities and pro surfers alike embracing his rad
floodlit fundraiser. Rob now resides on an island by the pristine,
uncrowded beaches of Yamba on the north coast of NSW where he paints,
surfs, tells stories and lives with his labrador dog, a Komodo Dragon and a couple of dozen
kangaroos and a fighting cock.
His passion for art and vibrant combinations of colour developed during
his 13 year employ at John Kaldor – the well known textile designer and
converter. This included stints in both Sydney and New York where his
daily workings with Kaldor’s flamboyant blend of design & colour made a
significant contribution to the evolution of his own unique creations.
Kaldor himself is one of Australia’s most recognised collectors and
patrons of Contemporary Art”
Rob was transfixed with New York. With dozens of inspiring galleries and
museums, he found himself attending countless openings and meeting some
of New York`s art elite during his 4 year sojourn in the city. One
important friendship that developed was with David McCabe, famous for
photographing Andy Warhol for the whole year of 1964. Before long Rob
was compelled to start drawing with oil paint and crayons.McCabe saw his
paintings and commented on the "raw childlike freshness of his art".
Only his enthusiasm and passion could match his vibrant style and colour
combinations.
McCabe's advice to Rob was "Nobody is doing this, so keep with it and
enjoy the ride. It is Your Style!``
The Hudson River didn't quite match up to Australia's surf breaks but
Rob quickly became infamous for paddling his yellow surfboard across the
river in November 1993 from Westside Hwy( 85th St) to Frank Sinatra`s
front lawn (Hoboken N.J). He met Frank and his minder then turned around
to paddle back to Manhattan. Dodging garbage barges in the freezing
winter water, Rob ended up exhausted and washed up on 118th st Harlem.
It’s a good story.
After leaving New York in 1996 Rob returned to Australia to put on an
exhibition``The Lost Warhol's``by David McCabe.This was a sellout
success and the Warhol Museum now has many of these in there collection.
Only a handful of Rob`s paintings have been sold, however he is showing
45 pieces in the first solo exhibition of his work on 5-7 October 2012
at Sydney's TAP Gallery in Darlinghurst
The work medium is oil on canvas and coreboard and has a special
luminescent oil in many of the works making it a one of a kind show.
And like all great art exhibitions entry is free.
- Category:
- Political organization