ALAN SCHMIDT - HAPPENSTANCE
"A chance situation, often producing good results" - in the case of artist Alan Schmidt, clearly both unique as well as striking results. Schmidt has taken the art of collage to a new and entertaining level. Over many years the artist has gathered a significant library, not only books and volumes but also a wealth of past auction catalogues, comics, folios and ephemera from which to source the imagery that he requires. And thus, with a particular subject in mind, be it Circus or Magic, Flight or Food, the production commences; the selection process is a considerable investment of time, searching and seeking elements that will complement and enhance a particular composition. Not simply the case of choosing pieces that fit the theme but also re-sizing original material in order to maintain a certain scale or contradiction thereof, it's a topsy turvy world that Alan creates where cheese can be taller than a windmill or a motor car is as big as Saturn. The assemblages are presented as three dimensional, almost like scaled down stage sets. The kaleidoscopic works must be seen firsthand in order to appreciate the artistry at work in Happenstance, a most pleasing blend of nostalgia and nonsense, bizarre and beguiling.

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