The Walk Home, and the "plate paintings" series in general, established Schnabel as a major figure in the Neo-Expressionist movement. His use of broken plates as a painting surface was highly innovative and controversial. The fragmented, textured surface and the raw, expressive imagery challenged the prevailing minimalist and conceptual art of the time. The physicality of the materials and the large scale of the work contribute to its powerful impact. The broken plates themselves have been interpreted as symbolic of fragmentation, destruction, and the layering of history and memory. The work evokes a sense of both violence and beauty, reflecting the emotional intensity characteristic of Neo-Expressionism.Exile from the Father from the series of "plate paintings" exemplifies Schnabel's signature style, combining found materials, expressive brushwork, and a sense of epic scale. His work often explores themes of mythology, history, and personal experience.
Born: October 26, 1951, Brooklyn, New York, USA
Nationality: American
Style: Neo-Expressionism
Influences: Cy Twombly, Antoni GaudÃ, Art Brut
Major Exhibitions: "Exile" (1980), "The Patients and the Doctors" (1978), "Plate Paintings" (1980s)
Quote: "I'm not interested in being a painter. I'm interested in being a filmmaker."
The Walk Home is a large-scale painting from Schnabel's breakthrough "plate paintings" series. It is created on a surface of broken crockery, bonded together with Bondo (auto-body filler) and painted over with oil paint. The fragmented surface creates a highly textured and dynamic effect. The imagery is ambiguous, but includes a large, roughly-rendered head and other fragmented forms.This large-scale painting, made on broken plates and other found materials, features a fragmented, layered composition with figurative and abstract elements. Schnabel's "plate paintings" are known for their textured surfaces and their dramatic, often theatrical quality.
