Helmet Collage

BIO Ron Schafer's works seem deceptively humble at first glance. Discarded objects held together with common household items like push pins, clothes hangers, or simple wire; vibrant primary colors and aluminum foil contrasting with earth-toned Masonite board, wood, and paper; words and pictures mixed with the detritus of human existence - his abstractions breathe new life into that which would otherwise be dismissed. Schafer's chimeric works use these commonplace materials as a painter does a palette, while scissors and pliers serve as his brushes. He works at a rapid pace, making new discoveries as he moves from piece to piece. He gathers, stores, and connects, creating value out of excess. Collecting leads to ethereal combinations, sometimes building from a vertical surface toward the viewer, sometimes lacking both back and front, and sometimes incorporating the use of candles or flashlights to give the work a day/dusk character. Ron Schafer grew up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He lives and works in Los Angeles with his wife and son. ARTIST STATEMENT When asked about his process Ron says, "it's all about getting an idea realized as quickly as possible. If my materials are precious, I become tentative, restricted, not wanting to waste an expensive art material on an idea that in the end I don't like. My materials are my friends, they free me to create without quilt or restriction. In the end, the works take on a uniqueness that can only come from me."