DEBORAH LAWRENCE SCHAFER
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Reflexiones
This work began as an exploration of the Spanish colonization of the Americas driven by Schafer’s desire to understand her maternal “mestiza” origin. In this series, she layers digital images to create immediacy and direct visual connections between complex events that have become abstracted or obscured both by time and intention. By layering, mirroring, and ordering selected images, Schafer seeks to shift historical authorship to restore and recenter truth. Through juxtaposition, she examines the awful irony of the near annihilation of complex indigenous social structures and systems of knowledge that occurred at the point of contact with diseases and with the inherently violent European presumption of cultural superiority. She examines parallels and causal relationships between the catastrophic historic loss of sovereignty and Latin Americans' contemporary migration experiences drawn north for a better life or asylum. 

​Using the idea of a mirror, reflection, and the Rorschach ink blobs, these works share an introspective process of reconciling a part of her ancestral history that is complex, shameful, horrific, and laced with greed, violence, and disease. The newest works in this series begin to explore the indigenous beliefs lost to her lineage and nearly erased in her life through colonization and cultural assimilation, and seek the possibility of a restorative process that reincorporates them into her life.
Fade to unmelt I, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt II, 2022. Graphite on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt III, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt IV, 2022. Graphite and gold on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt V, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt VI, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt VII, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt VIII, 2022. Graphite on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt IX, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Fade to unmelt X, 2022. Charcoal on paper, 14 x 11 inches
Picture
Corazón salvaje/ Untamed heart, 2022. Oil on panel, 30 x 24 inches.
Stardust I, 2022 Watercolor, minerals, gouache, and graphite on Arches cotton paper, 40 x 25.75 inches
Stardust I, 2022, detail Watercolor, minerals, gouache, and graphite on Arches cotton paper, 40 x 25.75 inches
Stardust II, 2022 Watercolor, minerals, gouache, and graphite on Arches cotton paper, 40 x 25.75 inches
Héroe de la pluma/ Hero of the feather, 2022. Pigment print on cotton, 19.69 x 27.56 inches, unique
Vía Crucis/ Stations of the Cross, 2022. Ink on pigment print, 20.625 x 14.375 inches
Héroe de la pluma II/ Hero of the feather II, 2022. Oil over Pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 19.69 x 27.56 inches, unique
Picture
Portal al corazón salvaje/ Portal to an untamed heart, 2021. Gold over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 30.67 x 46 inches, 1/5 Edition of 5 + A.P. + T.P.
Portal al corazón conectado/ Portal to the connected heart, 2021. Pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 30 x 30 inches Edition of 5 + A.P. + T.P.
Portal al corazón raíz/ Portal to a rooted heart, 2021. Pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 30 x 30 inches Edition of 5 + A.P.
Portal al corazón cósmico/ Portal to a cosmic heart, 2021. Gold over pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 30 x 30 inches Edition of 5 + A.P. + T.P.
Enfermedades/ Diseases, 2020 Mixed media: ink, gold and watercolor over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 27.6 x 19.6 inches. Edition of 3 + A.P.
Hipocresía y Desplazamiento/ Hypocrisy and Displacement, 2020 Mixed media: ink over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 27.5 x 19.7 inches. Edition of 3 + A.P.
Poder hegemónico: el ascenso y la caída/ Hegemonic power: the rise and fall, 2020. Poder hegemónico: el ascenso y la caída/ Hegemonic power: the rise and fall, 2020 Mixed media: ink and gold details over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 27.36 x 20.2 inches. Edition of 3 + A.P.
Nacimiento, amor & maravilla, muerte/ Birth, love & wonder, death, 2020 Mixed media: ink and gold details over pigment on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 27.6 x 19.6 inches, 1/3 Edition of 3 + A.P. + T.P.
Hipocresía y Desplazamiento/ Hypocrisy and Displacement study, T.P., 2020. Mixed media: ink over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 10.25 x 7.12 inches, unique
Enfermedades estudio/ Diseases study, 2020. Mixed media: ink, gold, and watercolor details over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 11.4 x 6.4 inches, unique
Desplazamiento y codicia/ Displacement and greed, 2020 Mixed media: ink and gold over photo transfer on Velin d’Arches BFK Rives cotton, 15 x 22 inches, unique
Poder hegemónico estudio/ Hegemonic power study, 2020. Mixed media: ink and gold details over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 10.33 x 11.22 inches, unique
Desplazamiento estudio/ Displacement study, 2020 Mixed media: ink and paper over photo transfer on Fabriano cotton, 9.1 x 12 inches, unique
Picture
Codicia/ Greed, 2022. Gold and ink on Arches cotton 16 x 12.135 inches, unique
Picture
¿Empatía? (Las Casas y Cortés)/ Empathy? (Las Casas y Cortés), 2020. Mixed media: ink, watercolor, and gold details over digital archival pigment print on Hahnemuhle William Turner 310 cotton, 39.4 x 55.12 inches, Edition of 3 + A.P.
Luchando contra nosotros mismos I/ Fighting ourselves I, 2020. Mixed media: ink and paper on Fabriano Unica cotton mix, 13.8" x 19.7", unique
Luchando contra nosotros mismos II/ Fighting ourselves II, 2020. Mixed media: ink and paper on Velin d’Arches BFK Rives cotton, 22.05 x 14.96 inches, unique
Luchando contra nosotros mismos IV/ Fighting ourselves IV, 2020. Mixed media: ink and paper over Fabriano Unica cotton mix, 19.7 x 13.8 inches, unique
Luchando contra nosotros mismos III/ Fighting ourselves III, 2020. Mixed media: ink and paper over Fabriano Unica cotton mix, 13.8 x 19.7 inches, unique
Picture
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs I/ Loving ourselves I, 2020. Gold on cotton, 15 x 19.5 inches
Picture
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs II/ Loving ourselves II, 2020. Gold on cotton, 15.25 x 22.5 inches
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs III/ Loving ourselves III, 2022. Amate, 15.5 x 23.5 inches
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs IV/ Loving ourselves IV, 2022. Amate, 15.5 x 23.5 inches
Picture
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs VIII/ Loving ourselves VIII, 2022. Gold on cotton, 15.25 x 22.5 inches
Picture
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs IX/ Loving ourselves IX, 2022. Gold on cotton, 15.25 x 22.5 inches
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs X/ Loving ourselves X, 2022. Amate, 15.5 x 23.5 inches
Amándonos a nosotrxs mismxs XI/ Loving ourselves XI, 2022. Amate, 15.5 x 23.5 inches
2023 © Deborah Lawrence Schafer
  • Home
  • PROJECTS
    • Reflexiones
    • Botanical paintings
    • Botanical Offshoot
    • COLORS OF LAKE TAHOE
    • Bear Island
    • View
  • EARLY WORK
    • La Mar
    • Fog
    • Water and fire
  • About
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