Tom Schneider

Artist Statement

I enjoy making sculptures that invite curiosity and inward contemplation. My visions and ideas are rooted in my fascination of the Great Mystery and my collaboration with the wild unseen forces. My current series, “Ecstatic Gates,” is a collection of 11 distinct wall sculptures. Each piece is kind of shrine or chapel, and has its own personality and its own “face.” I try to instill equal measures of elegance and whimsy into each piece. The suspended forms echo the delicate balances of nature while giving each piece a rhythmic movement. The bones, natural fibers, and decaying wood grains express the beauty I find in impermanence. And the shimmer of gold peeking through the doors offers a glimpse of the world beyond.

I work in different mediums because I am looking for a variety of experiences. Gestural drawing allows me to explore freedom, movement, and simplicity. I love working with wood because of the beauty of its limitless organic surprises. Sculpting outdoor tree totems allows me to make pieces that are living, evolving creations as they attract moss and fungi ornamentations. 

I received my formal training as an illustrator from the Philadelphia College of Art. For more than 35 years I’ve been self-employed as an illustrator, graphic designer, sculptor, and painter. I now work from my studio in the historic Beaver Mill in North Adams, MA.