Abstract Painting 1811 Print

Jay Schaffer obtained his formal training as Bachelor of Fine Arts magna cum laude from Cornish College of the Arts and Master of Fine Arts in the Visual Arts from Vermont College of Fine Arts. Jay has exhibited his art extensively since 1992. His first commisioned work, an abstract mural to be seen in the atrium of a Seattle college gymnasium, measured 40 feet vertically and 8 feet wide. His first solo exhibition included paintings repeatedly layered, scraped and layered, in some cases resulting in work over 4 inches thick. In his daily practice Jay continues to develop a body of work that investigates his deep interest in the materiality of paint, looking-thinking-feeling, affect and sensation, process, and art as abstract machine. The form of content and form of expression of his paintings address questions about the singularity and the common, molarization and "becoming - other", structure and an aleatory outside, infolding/unfolding and an exploration of an idea he refers to as "becoming-substance". Jay's paintings delve into questions about striated and smooth space and the "matter" of paint. Jay’s art intentionally looks outward to the social and political issues of contemporary life. His paintings, photography, video, installations and writing have all garnered awards and honorific grants. Jay's paintings are included in various private and institutional collections. He teaches art privately and mentors on an individual basis. Jay was born and raised in Buffalo, New York and though he retains a New York State of mind, currently resides in Seattle, Washington.