Fine Art
Meditative Images & Forms by Lincoln Schatz
We’re thrilled to share work by Chicago artist Lincoln Schatz. Lincoln is a passionate and articulate artist who completely immerses himself in his endeavors. He has traveled the world and his talents know no bounds. We are beyond delighted to host Lincoln Schatz in our studio this May where he will exhibit a selection of his artwork.
The planning process has been a fantastic collaboration. After visiting our studio, Lincoln has shared with us a fabulous plan to use our space as he feels inspired. We are so excited to see how our studio is transformed to meet Lincoln’s vision. With our guest list ready and planning well underway, it will surely be a wonderful evening!
We’re so pleased to host Lincoln Schatz and his stunning artwork in our newly renovated studio! For more information please call us at (312) 595-1980.
Lincoln is widely known for his video installation called The Network where he interviewed politicians and other government bodies. The Network was accepted into the permanent collection of the National Portrait Gallery in Washington D.C. Some of the works by Lincoln Schatz that resonate most deeply with us are his Lake Series images and Oil Stick Drawings.
Lincoln Schatz, January 30, 2018, Lake Series. Editioned prints available in various sizes. Image and details courtesy of Lincoln Schatz Studio.
Beginning in September 2015, Schatz began the meditative daily ritual of photographing Lake Michigan as it’s adjoined to Chicago. Lake Michigan behaves more like an ocean, constantly changing and displaying its pleasant or violent moods. Schatz captures these “shifts and moods” as a way to document the passage of time. Best described in his own words, “The lake is reflective of human nature: we are always evolving even as we stand in the same skin.”
Lincoln Schatz, October 8, 2017 (1), Lake Series. Editioned prints available in various sizes. Image and details courtesy of Lincoln Schatz Studio.
Each image of the Lake Series is taken from different vantage points, which contributes to the uniqueness of this massive series. Schatz’s Lake Series is in direct dialogue with famous Japanese artist Hiroshi Sugimoto’s Seascapes.
Images captured by both artists display equal parts sky and water with the horizon in the center. Sugimoto’s work is titled for each body of water he photographs. Although Sugimoto’s images are in black and white, he is still able to convey the mood and emotions of the sea, just Lincoln captures them in color. As noted by the Guggenheim, only the weather conditions distinguish one sea from another, the same as Lincoln Schatz’s images of Lake Michigan.
Hiroshi Sugimoto, Caribbean Sea, Jamaica, 1980. Image and details courtesy of Hiroshi Sugimoto.
At ikram, a high-end women’s fashion boutique in Chicago, a group of six unique images from the Lake Series are side-by-side for a very powerful installation. In person a quiet sense of calm comes over you, as if you are peacefully standing before the lake while the rest of the city sleeps. This view feels like it is yours alone to experience. With such a powerful presence, it’s no wonder EXPO Chicago chose to feature Schatz’s Lake Series in their advertising and programming materials for their 2017 edition.
Lincoln Schatz, Lake Series installation at ikram. Each acrylic face-mounted, 65″ H X 43″ W. Image courtesy of Lincoln Schatz Studio.
In Schatz’s Oil Stick Drawings, the organic geometric forms illustrate artful thoughts and approaches. Achille Bonito Oliva, Italian art critic and historian of contemporary art, compared Schatz’s Oil Stick Drawings to fellow American artists Sol LeWitt and Andy Warhol. Schatz creates asymmetrical structural forms which are progressively developed through modular movements.
Lincoln Schatz (American, b. 1963), Untitled 38, 1995. Oil stick on paper, 30″ H X 41 1/2″ W. Image and details courtesy of Lincoln Schatz Studio.
Schatz’s creation of these structural forms and intentional rhythmic process produces mesmerizing works of art. Schatz’s clever and unique process in Untitled 38 produces topographical results. The asymmetrical outline of the structure resemble a jagged coastline and the visible lines inside the form appear to represent changes in elevation.
Lincoln Schatz, Untitled 31, 1995. Oil stick on paper, 41 1/2″ H X 30″ W. Image and details courtesy of Lincoln Schatz Studio.
Lincoln Schatz has enjoyed a successful career and we look forward to his forthcoming work and accomplishments.
Lincoln’s work is held in many international public and private collections. Below is a selection of public collections where you may view his work:
- National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, DC
- The Art Institute of Chicago, Chicago, IL
- San Jose Museum of Art, San Jose, CA
- Anchorage Museum, Anchorage, AK
- Fundación Privada Sorigué, Lleida, Spain
- W Hotel, Seoul, Korea
- Fidelity Investments, Boston, MA
- Runnymede Sculpture Farm, Woodside, CA
- Museum of the Outdoor Arts, Englewood, CO
- Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, IL
- Glatzova Co, Prague, Czech Republic
- Post Properties, Washington, DC
- City of Evanston, Evanston, IL
