A visit to The Old Schoolhouse Gallery became a transformative experience. David Schneider’s Fringe Photography is utterly breathtaking. Schneider is a wildlife and nature photographer, focusing on bringing to live each animal and scene his camera sees. All of Schneider’s prints are metallic, amazingly rich and vibrant, with a subtle three dimensional quality.
His most noted work is the Classic Wave, a moving print of one of our hidden treasures, The Wave, located in the very northern part of Arizona. It wasn’t easy for Schneider to photograph The Wave as there are no roads that lead to it. According to Schneider, “to reach it one must walk miles through the unmarked desert, transversing drifting sand, slip rock, and at the end, face a steep climb in sand. Not an easy trek . . . not at all. But one that is more than worth it, as you can see.”
It was this print in particular that I found most mesmerizing and peaceful. Schneider’s camera so carefully captures the sloping ridges of the drifting sand that to the observer’s eyes it feels as if the sand is moving. At first, I wondered if the scene was a real land formation or if the photographer had manipulated his work to create such a beautiful sight. The print is authentically real and Schneider chronicles his journey to this natural wonder in a story that accompanies his work.
It isn’t often that I will buy artwork upon a first time viewing. I usually contemplate the art further and try to determine the artist’s message. The work must transcend the traditional limits of the art medium and become a truly unique piece of art. With Schneider’s Classic Wave, I immediately felt drawn to the print as it evokes tranquility and a sense of moving forward with one’s life.
David Schneider’s Fringe Photography will hang during the month of September at The Old Schoolhouse Gallery, 12504 North Hwy.14, San Antonito, NM
