Julian Schnabel

Julian Schnabel, present

Julian Schnabel, 1980's

“My paintings take up room, they make a stand. People will always react to that. Some people get inspired, others get offended. But that’s good. I like that.”

Julian Schnabel is an American artist, designer, and film maker. Born in Brooklyn and raised in Texas, Schnabel moved to New York City during the early 1970s to pursue an art education at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Soon afterwards, Schnabel became infamous for his rapid integration into the blossoming East Village art scene of the 1980s. After his first 1979 exhibition at the Mary Boone gallery in Chelsea, Schnabel was immediately recognized as an unconventional artistic force and personage by New Yorkers and art critics alike. His precocious ability to self-promote and brash, unapologetic attitude led to further fame and success. Best known for his large scale paintings composed with a variety of unconventional materials, most often cracked pottery, Schnabel explores themes of sexuality, death, resurrection, and religion. A pioneer of Neo-Expressionism, Schnabel rejects the quiet intellectualism of Minimalist and Conceptual Art, instead promoting expressionism, excess, exuberance, and abstraction. For the past ten years Schnabel has expanded his artistic endeavors, merging his distinct aesthetic vision with the fields of film and interior design. A critically acclaimed director, Julian Schnabel is most recognized for his films The Diving Bell and the Butterfly and Basquiat, made in honor of late friend and artist Jean-Michel Basquiat. Julian Schnabel currently lives and works in New York City. For news about his recent work and exhibitions, please visit:

www.julianschnabel.com