Breaking the Fourth Wall
by Travis Schiebel
Marilyn Hillery Community Gallery
October 3 - November 21, 2015
Artist Reception:
Saturday, October 24, 2015: 5-8pm
by Travis Schiebel
Marilyn Hillery Community Gallery
October 3 - November 21, 2015
Artist Reception:
Saturday, October 24, 2015: 5-8pm
The Pearl Fincher Museum of Fine Arts is pleased to present Breaking the Fourth Wall, an exhibition featuring the work of local artist Travis Schiebel on view in the Marilyn Hillery Community Gallery from October 3 - November 21, 2015. This elegant collection of portraits showcases the artist's penchant for not only capturing and conveying his subjects' emotional state, but for doing so in a striking manner that invites viewers to personally connect with the artwork. The artist further elaborates on this appropriately-titled exhibition in his statement below:
Artist Statement
"The 'fourth wall' is a theatrical concept that imagines an invisible wall between stage actors and their audience. This style came to prominence in the 1800s when actors endeavored to behave as authentically as possible in their imagined environment and ignore the audience. The act of 'Breaking the Fourth Wall' is when actors deliberately defy tradition and address the audience directly. There is a similar wall that has been put up in portraiture photography between the artist and subject. My work aims to break this tradition. In this collection I capture the fleeting moment when each subject forgets the wall and emotionally connects with the audience. It is the briefest glimpse into the subject’s psyche – a powerful moment of vulnerability and confession.
One of the most telling examples is the work titled 'Peach.' Because the fourth wall is broken, viewers are no longer just viewing the subject, Stephen. They can feel Stephen’s exhaustion in their bones. They are invited into his world where they can share his emotions and experience his authenticity. These are the moments I strive to capture in this collection – photographs that reach in, stir the soul and captivate the viewer.
The collection also includes a number of images that play on the design principles of balance and negative space. In 'Seduction' (pictured above) there is a moment where viewers must pause to determine what is in the midst of the darkness. As they linger upon the image, the extended line of a woman’s neck emerges, leading to a sublimely tilted head of azure hair. The alluring simplicity of images like this draws the viewer in and will not let go. Our eyes must look further and our minds are powerless to resist the seduction. There is no wall, only connection and emotion."
- Travis Schiebel, 2015
"The 'fourth wall' is a theatrical concept that imagines an invisible wall between stage actors and their audience. This style came to prominence in the 1800s when actors endeavored to behave as authentically as possible in their imagined environment and ignore the audience. The act of 'Breaking the Fourth Wall' is when actors deliberately defy tradition and address the audience directly. There is a similar wall that has been put up in portraiture photography between the artist and subject. My work aims to break this tradition. In this collection I capture the fleeting moment when each subject forgets the wall and emotionally connects with the audience. It is the briefest glimpse into the subject’s psyche – a powerful moment of vulnerability and confession.
One of the most telling examples is the work titled 'Peach.' Because the fourth wall is broken, viewers are no longer just viewing the subject, Stephen. They can feel Stephen’s exhaustion in their bones. They are invited into his world where they can share his emotions and experience his authenticity. These are the moments I strive to capture in this collection – photographs that reach in, stir the soul and captivate the viewer.
The collection also includes a number of images that play on the design principles of balance and negative space. In 'Seduction' (pictured above) there is a moment where viewers must pause to determine what is in the midst of the darkness. As they linger upon the image, the extended line of a woman’s neck emerges, leading to a sublimely tilted head of azure hair. The alluring simplicity of images like this draws the viewer in and will not let go. Our eyes must look further and our minds are powerless to resist the seduction. There is no wall, only connection and emotion."
- Travis Schiebel, 2015
About the Artist
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Travis Schiebel began his art studies in 1987 and has worked in the photography industry ever since graduating from Sam Houston State University. At Sam Houston he learned the craft of “painting with light” using the traditional wet lab and alternative processes. Since then Travis has honed his artistry in multiple genres of photography, including portraiture, commercial, editorial, and lifestyle. He also is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). In addition to his thriving photography career, Travis has developed unique proficiency in the technical side of the industry, working as a digital technician and running his own business teaching digital asset management to other photographers. Travis and his wife Jennifer have lived in Spring, Texas, since 2008 where they stay very busy and quite entertained raising two young children.
ABOVE: Travis Schiebel, Seduction, Giclée on Matte Photo Paper
A native of San Antonio, Texas, Travis Schiebel began his art studies in 1987 and has worked in the photography industry ever since graduating from Sam Houston State University. At Sam Houston he learned the craft of “painting with light” using the traditional wet lab and alternative processes. Since then Travis has honed his artistry in multiple genres of photography, including portraiture, commercial, editorial, and lifestyle. He also is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP). In addition to his thriving photography career, Travis has developed unique proficiency in the technical side of the industry, working as a digital technician and running his own business teaching digital asset management to other photographers. Travis and his wife Jennifer have lived in Spring, Texas, since 2008 where they stay very busy and quite entertained raising two young children.
ABOVE: Travis Schiebel, Seduction, Giclée on Matte Photo Paper
