Artist Statement
Schinkel Fine Art
As a mother-and-son artist duo working in a figurative/abstract hybrid style, we create immersive environments. This work challenges conventional perspectives in an effort to deepen a shared understanding of all things possible. Our artistic journey began in 2010, rooted in lifelong engagement with creative communication.
Embodying a symbiotic relationship between medium and message, our work depicts Marshall McLuhan’s assertion that “the medium is the message.” Influenced by the late 19th-century Les Nabis movement—Parisian artists who transitioned art from Impressionism toward abstraction, symbolism, and modernism—we embed hidden elements within our work to invite exploration and unlock potential. We believe that art is not merely a depiction of the physical world but a synthesis of metaphors and symbols deeply rooted in the artist’s soul. Our work serves as a guide akin to a treasure map, leading the way to the unknown and challenging the known.
Our creations begin with conceptual design and are brought to life by hand using workmen’s and artisan’s tools. Influenced by the Detroit maker mentality we utilize techniques from automotive, aviation, and woodworking fabrication, fusing traditional craftsmanship with modern technology. The “Metallaverse”—a suite of original interconnected works - Metalagram, Metalamirror, and Metalamix are further inspired by Andy Warhol, whose artist process merged subject matter and message.
Designed to evoke introspection and challenge perception, our work invites looking beneath the surface to reconsider personal beliefs. Metalagram blends color field abstraction with figuration to create one-of-a-kind works that read as sculptural despite their two-dimensional form. Building on this foundation, we developed one-of-a-kind Metalamirror works that incorporate the reflective qualities of handcrafted silver mirrors, allowing the artwork to interact dynamically with its environment. Our third process, Metalamix, produces unique limited editions that merge elements of the previous two artist processes with analog and digital media—including digital painting, photography, video, animation, and AI. All three processes result in richly layered dynamic artwork, powerfully distinct yet related.
Creating in our studio and exhibiting in the former Moross House Museum, the oldest brick dwelling in Detroit, our work aligns with the circa 1840 architecture reflecting the straight lines and rooted significance of the location. Karl Friedrich Schinkel (1781–1841), the renowned Prussian architect and artist, is a familial ancestor. Much like his work, we approach our practice with technical precision and creative insight—a foundation that informs and inspires our lives and practice.
We founded the 501c3 nonprofit “Conceptions Connect” to continue creating collaborative art installations with schools, nonprofits and the community. Through these projects at multiple locations including at the Cranbrook Institute of Science Museum, we have witnessed firsthand the transformative power of collaboratively creating with others—a synergy that empowers, enlightens, and energizes both creators and viewers alike.