This Human Condition

 

An excerpt from the exhibition press release:

Modern day consensus thinking doesn't encourage truthful expression. Society expects us to remain ordered and has little tolerance for those who embrace

and celebrate the natural ebb and flow of human emotions. As a result these emotions often become filtered or remain hidden away in dark corners of the subconscious, never to be explored, discussed or expressed in any way.

 

This collection of work is a personal exploration of that part of the psyche that is rarely acknowledged. “To a large extent, this new work is self reflective.

I'm fascinated by one’s personal evolution and over the last couple of months I’ve been very aware of my relationship to the creative process and how it's influenced by my emotional state at the time. Every day reveals something unexpected. For me no painting is the same. I try to find expression in obscurity, beauty, nature, life and even the darkest despair. Evoking emotion and reaction is paramount and this work is actually a celebration of the Human Spirit,"

says Schalk.

 

"Ultimately, I'm not in control, neither of the process or the outcome. I truly believe that creativity should never be held hostage to expectations.

The ideas are there, they always have been and always will be. All I have to do is surrender."