Artists typically abide by a set of rules in their practice—and these rules are often dictated by the materials that are used. The goal is for the materials to show you the way.
Steve Schmidt uses corrugated plastic panels, formerly used as drop cloths to protect the floor during installations at the Long Beach Museum of Art. A process of dissecting each panel creates building blocks for his canvas; each piece is examined, rotated and arranged in varying
interlocking compositions.
These panels have collected drips, stains, splatters and accidents that Schmidt finds irresistibly
beautiful. The artist uses these readymade paintings in a series of collages that explore the
language of mark making from the ground up. Steve Schmidt is based in Long Beach, California
and has exhibited in the Netherlands, nationally and extensively in Los Angeles.
