Work Statement:
The work I create is derived from my interests concerning: interaction with and use of space, depression and anxiety, and access and restriction. I find it intriguing when spaces, or architectural structures, are aligned with subjects like: depression, anxiety, and suicide. Building materials, wear and aging, distressed and weight bearing structures show the condition that a structure is in, which can in turn describe its occupants, owners, and the everyday passerby.
In the body of work titled “As I sit looking through the mirror”, I take images of worn or damaged infrastructure, architectural structures, and landscapes, and present these images with satirical or directive titles to discuss mental health struggles. I believe that spaces and inanimate structures can speak for many: those who designed and made it, people that occupy it, people who pass by, and those who have left.
In Heathens Like Me I photograph spaces and structures used in unconditional manners. Used in ways they probably weren’t designed to be, and or in ways that break social norms. As a cyclist who got his start from BMX I spent a majority of my youth riding around and riding or grinding on structures not intended for that kind of act, and thus dealt with police and random public reaction to said activities. Through this specific lens, I document and display how spaces can be used in ways that they were not meant to be as a social commentary of use and the ever changing landscapes of the urban city and suburbia.
Bio:
Bryn Schulte is an artist living in the northern suburbs of Chicago, IL. He was born in Wauconda, IL, and grew up in the suburbs of Lake County, IL. He went to the College of Lake County for three years, before transferring to the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (SAIC) where he received his BFA in Studio Art in 2016. His work centers around photographic documentations of architecture, landscapes, and spaces. He spent his formative years in high school & college documenting skateboarding and BMX, which deeply impacted the style and presentation of his images. A majority of his work uses landscape and architecture to comment on states of mental health, like depression, anxiety, suicide, and other mental health struggles.
CV Available upon request.
Contact - brynschulte@gmail.com