Rick Shaefer

Rick Shaefer produces precisely rendered, large-scale drawings that are detailed studies of natural elements. Viewed from multiple perspectives, these drawings, like Untitled #4 (The Parson’s Tale) (2018), document the intricate details of a flower and the veins of a dragonfly’s wings using crisp individual lines like an engraving. Full of circling gestures, sensuous embellishments, and precise punctuations, these black-and-white drawings demonstrate a wide range of tones while depicting subjects with varying textural expanses. His studies take on a gestural and calligraphic approach in their recreation of close-ups of old growing trees or a three-canvas reiteration of an American bison. Shaefer is guided by the work of landscape painters such as Jacob van Ruisdael, Jan van Huysum, Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt van Rijn, John Constable, and J.M.W. Turner. He values the integrity of the line in artists’ work believing lines that are drawn with confidence will produce an emotional response with viewers.