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PIETER SCHOOLWERTH: NO BODY GETS A HEAD, 1991–2020

Central to American artist Pieter Schoolwerth’s (b. 1970) in St. Louis, lives in NYC practice is a reflection of the human being, as it finds itself suspended between stasis and flux, and all the complexity and fragmentation that entails. Schoolwerth’s first exhibition at a European institution encompasses paintings, reliefs and films that depict the continual change in the ways people interact with one another and their surroundings. Like no other artist, Schoolwerth exposes these changes by combining art-historical themes with the aesthetics of virtual worlds, deftly merging Old Master-style techniques with the digital possibilities of contemporary image composition.

Comprising a total of sixty works, the survey begins in the 1990s when Schoolwerth, just recently graduated from Cal Arts, was creating psychedelic works and installations, (and) inventing his own alternative cartography. Even then, Schoolwerth was bringing together the realms of high culture and subculture, thereby melding the ritual with the rational-conceptual. We find him, in these early works, already exploring the influence of the then still-emerging Internet, particularly its impact on the reception and constitution of pictorial representation.

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation View

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Installation view, Pieter Schoolwerth: No Body Get a Head, Kunstverein Hannover, 2021

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 1 & 2

Pieter Schoolwerth

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 1 & 2

1995-1996

Pencil, colored pencil and paint pen on paper

48 x 24 inches

121.9 x 61 cm

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 8

Pieter Schoolwerth

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 8

1995-1996

Colored pencil and paint pen on paper

48 x 48 inches

Thee 83 Altered States ov America: Chapters 3 & 4

Pieter Schoolwerth

Thee 83 Altered States ov America: Chapters 3 & 4

1995-96

Colored pencil and paint pen on paper, framed

49 x 49 inches

124.5 x 124.5 cm

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 5

Pieter Schoolwerth

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 5

1995-1996

Colored pencil and paint pen on paper

48 x 48 inches

121.9 x 121.9 cm

Pieter Schoolwerth, Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 12

Pieter Schoolwerth

Thee 83 Altered States ov Americka: Chapter 12

1995-1996

Colored pencil and paint pen on paper

82 x 40 inches

208.3 x 101.6 cm

Pieter Schoolwerth, Burgundy Crossroads on the Black Rainbow Domino’s Effect

Pieter Schoolwerth

Burgundy Crossroads on the Black Rainbow Domino’s Effect

1999

Oil on canvas

Three panels, overall:

82 x 50 inches

208.3 x 127 cm

Abstraction

Pieter Schoolwerth

Abstraction

2005

Oil on linen

84 x 97 inches

213.4 x 246.4 cm

Couple

Pieter Schoolwerth

Couple

2005

Oil on linen

79 x 110 inches

200.7 x 254 cm

Workout

Pieter Schoolwerth

Workout

2006

Oil on linen

93 x 87 inches

236.2 x 221 cm

Bluff

Pieter Schoolwerth

Bluff

2006

Oil on linen

38 x 42.5 inches

96.5 x 108 cm

Portrait of “Still Life With Beef, Bowl of Ham and Vegetables, and Receptacles" (after Melendez)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Portrait of “Still Life With Beef, Bowl of Ham and Vegetables, and Receptacles" (after Melendez)

2010

Oil on canvas

81 x 100 inches

205.7 x 254 cm

Portrait of "The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine" (after Lotto)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Portrait of "The Mystic Marriage of St. Catherine" (after Lotto)

2010

Oil on canvas

65 x 88 inches

165.1 x 223.5 cm

After Troy 6 (Vouet)

Pieter Schoolwerth

After Troy 6 (Vouet)

2012

Oil, acrylic, pastel and inkjet on canvas

72.5 x 54 inches

184.2 x 137.2 cm

After Troy 5 (Vouet)

Pieter Schoolwerth

After Troy 5 (Vouet)

2012

Oil, acrylic, pastel and inkjet on canvas

72.75 x 54 inches

184.8 x 137.2 cm

Off the Grid #2

Pieter Schoolwerth

Off the Grid #2

2016

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

70 x 58 inches

177.8 x 147.3 cm

Inquire
Accidental Megastructure #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Accidental Megastructure #1

2018

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

87 1/2 x 72 inches

222.3 x 182.9 cm

Inquire
Personality Inventory #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Personality Inventory #1

2018

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

78 x 67 inches

198.1 x 170.2 cm

Call Out Tools #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Call Out Tools #1

2018

Oil, acrylic, inkjet on canvas

83 x 72 inches

210.8 x 182.9 cm

Model for "Personality Inventory"

Pieter Schoolwerth

Model for "Personality Inventory"

2018

Oil, acrylic, inkjet and mixed media on foamcore

Framed

78.5 x 68 x 19 inches

199.4 x 177.8 x 48.3 cm

Model for "Behavioral Surplus Capture"

Pieter Schoolwerth

Model for "Behavioral Surplus Capture"

2019

Oil, acrylic, inkjet and mixed media on foamcore

103 x 71 x 38 inches

261.6 x 180.3 x 96.5 cm

Shifted Sims #4 (Dine Out Expansion Pack)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Shifted Sims #4 (Dine Out Expansion Pack)

2020

Oil, acrylic, inkjet on canvas

67 x 102 inches

170.2 x 259.1 cm

 

As Schoolwerth continued to develop his ideas, he went on to found Wierd Records parallel to his work as a visual artist. The independent music label garnered fame for its parties, live music and performance art events in the 2000s, strongly influencing the New York club scene. This exhibition is the first to relate the artist’s various fields of activity with one another, demonstrating how over the course of his career, he has not only continually explored the possibilities of figurative painting, but also the realms of music and performance. The survey offers visitors an in-depth look at Pieter Schoolwerth’s complex oeuvre and shows him to be one of the most astute chroniclers of his generation.

Alphabet

Pieter Schoolwerth

Alphabet

1991

Pencil on paper

18 x 24 inches

45.7 x 61 cm

Portrait of “The Healing of Tobit”, Schematic (after Strozzi)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Portrait of “The Healing of Tobit”, Schematic (after Strozzi)

2011

Oil, acrylic, inkjet print ink and chalk on canvas

38 x 53 inches

96.5 x 134.6 cm

Inquire
Study for "After Troy 1"

Pieter Schoolwerth

Study for "After Troy 1"

2012

Marker on acetate and paper collage

Framed Dimensions:

15 5/8 x 13 5/8 inches

39.7 x 34.6 cm

Inquire
Study for "After Troy 10"

Pieter Schoolwerth

Study for "After Troy 10"

2012

Marker on acetate and paper collage

Unframed:

13 x 10.5 inches

33 x 26.7 cm

Inquire
Study for Portrait of “The Five Senses” (after Linard)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Study for Portrait of “The Five Senses” (after Linard)

2010

Marker on acetate and paper collage

Unframed:

10.5 x 13 inches

26.7 x 33 cm

Inquire
Study for Portrait “Still Life With Beef, Bowl of Ham and Vegetables, and Receptacles" (after Melendez)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Study for Portrait “Still Life With Beef, Bowl of Ham and Vegetables, and Receptacles" (after Melendez)

2010

Marker on acetate and paper collage

Unframed:

10.87 x 13.27 inches

27.6 x 33.7 cm

Inquire
Portrait of “Barge On A River At Sunset” (after Pynacker)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Portrait of “Barge On A River At Sunset” (after Pynacker)

2010

Oil on canvas

66 x 54 inches

167.6 x 137.2 cm

Inquire
Portrait of “Meal With Pike’s Head And Hazelnuts” (after Flegel)

Pieter Schoolwerth

Portrait of “Meal With Pike’s Head And Hazelnuts” (after Flegel)

2010

Oil on canvas

38 x 45 inches

96.5 x 114.3 cm

Inquire
Wild Mountain Lockout

Pieter Schoolwerth

Wild Mountain Lockout

2003

Oil on canvas

89 x 103 inches

226.1 x 261.6 cm

Presentation

Pieter Schoolwerth

Presentation

2007

Oil on canvas

78 x 118 inches

198.1 x 299.7 cm

Make Up #2

Pieter Schoolwerth

Make Up #2

2014

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

52 x 38 inches

132.1 x 96.5 cm

Where is You #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Where is You #1

2014

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

77 1/2 x 58  inches

196.9 x 147.3 cm

Mail Woman #5

Pieter Schoolwerth

Mail Woman #5

2014

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

73 x 58  inches

185.4 x 147.3 cm

Make Up #5

Pieter Schoolwerth

Make Up #5

2014

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

79 x 58  inches

200.7 x 147.3 cm

Mail Woman #3

Pieter Schoolwerth

Mail Woman #3

2014

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

50 x 38 inches

127 x 96.5 cm

Take Out #5

Pieter Schoolwerth

Take Out #5

2014

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

79 x 58  inches

200.7 x 147.3 cm

Where is You #00

Pieter Schoolwerth

Where is You #00

2014

Acrylic, pen, cut paper, acetate, pencil, and inkjet print collage

16 x 12 inches

40.6 x 30.5 cm

No Body Gets a Head #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

No Body Gets a Head #1

2015

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

79.5 x 58 inches

201.9 x 147.3 cm

No Body Gets a Head #00

Pieter Schoolwerth

No Body Gets a Head #00

2015

Acrylic, pen, cut paper, acetate, pencil, and inkjet print

16.25 x 13 inches

41.3 x 33 cm

No Record #2

Pieter Schoolwerth

No Record #2

2015

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet on canvas

47.5 x 58 inches

120.7 x 147.3 cm

No Record #3

Pieter Schoolwerth

No Record #3

2015

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet on canvas

94 x 72 inches

238.8 x 182.9 cm

No Record #00

Pieter Schoolwerth

No Record #00

2015

Acrylic, pen, cut paper, acetate, pencil, and inkjet print collage

16.25 x 13 inches

41.3 x 33 cm

Mail Woman #00

Pieter Schoolwerth

Mail Woman #00

2015

Acrylic, pen, cut paper, acetate, pencil and inkjet print collage

16 x 12 inches

40.6 x 30.5 cm

Fuck Me #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Fuck Me #1

2016

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

90 x 120 inches

228.6 x 304.8 cm

Model for "Off the Grid"

Pieter Schoolwerth

Model for "Off the Grid"

2016

Enamel on wood

55.5 x 47 x 8.25 inches

141 x 119.4 x 21 cm

Model for “Underground”

Pieter Schoolwerth

Model for “Underground”

2017

Enamel on wood

49 x 59 x 7 1/4 inches

124.5 x 149.9 x 18.4 cm

Inquire
Underground #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Underground #1

2017

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

72 x 87 inches

182.9 x 221 cm

Inquire
Invisible Social Vandalism #1

Pieter Schoolwerth

Invisible Social Vandalism #1

2018

Oil, acrylic, inkjet on canvas

83 x 72 inches

210.8 x 182.9 cm

Untitled

Pieter Schoolwerth

Untitled

2015

Oil, acrylic, and inkjet print on canvas

90 x 115 inches

228.6 x 292.1 cm

Pieter Schoolwerth, Thee Space Between (1991) image still from video 

Pieter Schoolwerth, Thee Space Between (1991) image still from video 

Pieter Schoolwerth, The Ballad of Ion Lupescu: Or 122 Minutes to Live, image still from video 

Pieter Schoolwerth, The Ballad of Ion Lupescu: Or 122 Minutes to Live, image still from video 

Pieter Schoolwerth, Your Vacume Sucks, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, Your Vacume Sucks, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, Your Vacume Sucks, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, Your Vacume Sucks, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, The Casting Agent, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, The Casting Agent, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, The Casting Agent, Image still from video

Pieter Schoolwerth, The Casting Agent, Image still from video