Andrew Schoultz ruminates on the decline of Western civilization and the impulse to conquer in his current solo show at San Francisco’s Hosfelt Gallery, “Blown to Bits.” The exhibition features several site-specific installations as well as new paintings and works on paper.
Schoultz’s work is filled with chaotic imagery that gestures towards the strife and oppression stemming from a legacy of colonialism. Amid his abstract, geometric patterns, figurative elements emerge: fragments of dollar bills, fractured Grecian urns, ripped American flags, war horses, and slave ships. He juxtaposes symbols of Western culture with allusions to conflict and exploitation.
Schoultz communicates his dystopian vision through a variety of innovative techniques. His paintings feature metallic textures and collage elements. His large-scale installations combine 2D and 3D elements to create immersive environments with electrifying splashes of neon colors. Throughout the course of “Blown to Bits,” everything becomes fractured: Schoultz paints figures bursting open, sometimes even ripping up previous works and cobbling them into new ones. “Blown to Bits” is an experimental, multi-faceted attempt to make sense of the geopolitical forces that shape our world.
Andrew Schoultz’s “Blown to Bits” is on view at Hosfelt Gallery through January 24.
