NEW YORK.- Priska C. Juschka Fine Art is pleased to present Today I am a Knife, Ryan Schneider's first solo exhibition in New York City. Intimate and affecting, Schneider's paintings on view render powerful manifestations of emotion that range from diabolical affection to quiet connectivity.

For Schneider, painting is a physical and dynamic process that develops organically upon the surface of the canvas. Crafting forms from thick paint he gradually formulates and juxtaposes layers of vibrant patterns, dominant figures, and spatial attributes ultimately constructing the illusion of space. While he draws upon inspirations such as Pierre Bonnard, Henri Matisse and Francis Bacon, the resulting compositions are entirely intuitive and genuinely subjective. In a unique and candid language, Schneider thus reflects the emotional imprints that past interactions have left upon him.

Although not wholly biographical, his paintings function as a depository for fractions of knowledge and experiences Schneider has acquired. His works communicate private moments filled with intensity and significance, in turn situating the viewer in a voyeuristic stance. Yet with the aid of elements such as the associative patterns and the male figure that reappears throughout the series, one is able to follow and penetrate the depicted narratives, and consequently provide a subjective interpretation to the works. Thus, through the universal vernacular of painting, the individual viewers may transform an intensely intimate moment into their own personal truth.

Ryan Schneider was born in Indianapolis, IN and currently lives and works in New York. He holds a BFA from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore. He has previously exhibited in numerous group shows in the US, and has independently published several poetry anthologies.