NDSU senior Geoff Schaffer, originally from Buffalo Lake, Minn., will display his baccalaureate show at the NDSU Memorial Union Art Gallery from May 5-14. A reception is scheduled for Friday, May 7, from 4:30 p.m. to 6 p.m.
Schaffer’s exhibit is a collection of collages that include an arrangement of silver gelatin prints and digitally manipulated photographs arranged to portray the human body in a cubism inspired display. The photographs represent Schaffer's friends, family and acquaintances.
"The project was inspired by a fusion of cubism, portrait photographers, street artists and installation pieces both in galleries and public spaces,” Schaffer says. “The idea began as an attempt to photograph a human with a look at the diverse facets of personalities, characteristics and physicality. Rather than cluttering the walls with other photos, I decided to incorporate my interest in street art (mainly stencil art) to create ties between the complexity of the portraits and the environment of a gallery.”
Schaffer focused on the characteristics of the human form and abstraction to challenge the perception that photography is a medium of absolutes and to bring it outside of its traditional frames. “It is my philosophy that art should not be a static construct set aside and isolated with an environment, but rather each piece of art should be engaged by and with its environment, including the viewer, to enhance the world beyond its frame,” he said.
Schaffer is majoring in art with a minor in public relations and advertising.