" The materiality of a work of art is only a part of a desire, important only as a quality of being, sensation, meaning, recognition which describes the time which saw it come true and is described by him: something human. For me, paintings are physical objects that must be seen in person. "
Julian Schnabel is known for his multidisciplinary practice which extends beyond painting to include sculpture and film. His pictorial practice rooted in neo-expressionism is steeped in references to Giotto, Fra Angelico, Caravaggio, and Antonio Gaudí that the artist discovers during his travels in Europe. His baroque attitude is embodied in bold scale paintings which, over time, have combined the techniques of oil painting and collage; classical pictorial elements inspired by historical art and neo-expressionist features; abstraction and figuration. The "wild", gestural painting becomes an important element of Julian Schnabel's work. The addition of found and used objects in Schnabel's canvases becomes a fundamental part of his work. He creates several works using materials such as curtains from the Japanese Kabuki theater or the old coating that covered a boxing ring. He is interested in the materials that are the custodians of a story, the marks of their use giving the work an undeniably unique character.