Stephen Snyder
College of Fine Arts, Studio Art - Printmaking and Ceramics (BFA)
Earthly Delights
My name is Stephen Snyder, and I am an artist from North Florida. I am pursuing a BFA with a focus in printmaking and ceramics. My work is driven by storytelling through the lens of iconography and how it relates to identity. I am inspired by folk art and fables, and reference ancient and modern storytelling through the lens of contemporary life. I create artworks that are visually welcoming and invite the audience to explore the deeper meaning.
My style is very flat and two-dimensional, and as a result I am very intentional with the movement in each piece. I juxtapose small details with large shapes to create visual interest and emphasis where detail is highest. This is reminiscent of the iconographic style of medieval woodblock prints, modern stencils, and cave art, all of which I draw inspiration from. Throughout my work, I reference preexisting archetypes of animals that are present in traditional stories and fables. Using familiar characterization of animals makes my work more accessible to a wider audience. I draw from this language of symbols to evoke certain feelings about the story shown in an artwork. However, I apply these archetypes to a contemporary setting to explore the relationship between people, nature, and society.
My primary mediums are printmaking and ceramics. I incorporate the materials and processes I use into the meaning of my work to highlight the physical nature of art.
Artwork Description:
I wanted to create an art piece that peers into the titular housecat's mind and characterizes him as a dreamer and an optimist. I filled the borders of his mind with pictures that my own cat, Fitz, loves: watching the rain, chasing birds, and eating catnip, to name a few. To add to the pop-up book style, the rug is only attached to the frame at the top, which makes the art piece as a whole feel like it's floating on a dream. In Earthly Delights, for example, the rug and frame are two separate pieces overlapping, which is only understood by printing out and assembling the digital work. The physical separation of the frame and cat represents the disconnect between personification of domestic animals and reality.