Alex Schaefer

Alex Schaefer (born 1969) is an American artist, painter, activist, and educator. He is a notable figure in the Los Angeles contemporary art scene, and has received widespread coverage regarding his series of paintings depicting real-world branches of various banks on fire.[1][2]

Alex Schaefer
Alex Schaefer painting what appears to be flames.
Born
Alexander Schaefer

1969
Los Angeles, California
Education
Known for
Notable work
  • Banks on Fire
MovementPolitical

Early life

Alexander Schaefer was born in Los Angeles, California, in 1969, and is a graduate of the ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena.[3] He has previously worked as a digital artist at Disney Interactive and Insomniac Games,[2][3] and has taught at California State University, Los Angeles, as well as his alma mater, the ArtCenter College of Design.[4][5]

Artistic career

Schaefer's work has been shown at galleries around California, including the Charlie James Gallery, the Pasadena Museum of California Art, and the Bergamot Station Arts Center.[4]

The artist has received attention for his series of oil paintings portraying various banks in the Los Angeles area on fire, done en plein air in front of the buildings themselves.[6][7][8][9] Much of the work in the series focuses on branches of Chase Bank, though other banks such as Bank of America and Wells Fargo have been depicted as well. The subject matter, as well as his presence near the buildings that he paints, has resulted in Schaefer being questioned by law enforcement at several instances.[6][10][11] The series began evolving in 2009,[2] with the most publicized being painted in front of a Chase Bank in the Van Nuys neighborhood of Los Angeles in 2011.[1][6]

Painting of Wells Fargo with painted flames seemingly coming out of the structure.

In July 2012, Schaefer was arrested after creating chalk drawings on the sidewalk outside of a Chase Bank in Los Angeles.[7] He spent twelve hours in jail on a misdemeanor vandalism charge.[12]

Schaefer has previously sold paintings in his Banks on Fire series, with one painting fetching upwards of $25,000.[10] The series has also attracted attention from those active in the Bitcoin community, members of which Schaefer says are drawn to the imagery of traditional financial institutions on fire, and who have been the source of some of his sales of the series.[8]

Schaefer has also created a series of NFT art pieces.[8] Some of the pieces were displayed in an NFT showcase at Superchief Gallery, a New York City art gallery.[13]

On September 14, 2023, Alex Schaefer ranked first on a list titled "The 9 Top Bitcoin Artists."[14]

References
  1. "Art Threat: Alex Schaefer's Plein Air Protests". KCET. August 10, 2012. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  2. "Conversations with Alex Schaefer". SDVoyager - San Diego. May 17, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  3. Pierce, Alie (May 23, 2021). "An exclusive interview with artist Alex Schaefer". WeekenderNJ. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  4. "Alex Schaefer - Irrational Exuberance" (PDF). Charlie James Gallery. Retrieved July 15, 2021.
  5. Gold, Jered (August 29, 2011). "Art ... or Terrorism?". ArtCenter News. ArtCenter College of Design. Archived from the original on March 4, 2020. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  6. Pool, Bob (August 28, 2011). "An artist's incendiary painting is his bank statement". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  7. Massara, Kathleen (July 23, 2012). "'Burning Banks' Artist Arrested For Chalk Drawing". HuffPost. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  8. "Alex Schaefer is setting banks on fire with his paintings, and the Bitcoin community is eating his art up". Rooster Magazine. June 24, 2021. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  9. "Alex Schaefer, Burning Bank Artist, Sells A Piece For $25,200". Hive Gallery. September 21, 2011. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  10. Peralta, Eyder (September 13, 2011). "Painting Of A Burning Bank Fetches $25,000 At Auction". NPR. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  11. Russeth, Andrew (August 29, 2011). "Artist Paints Burning Banks, Attracting Police Attention". Observer. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  12. Stephens, Craig (July 24, 2012). "Alex Schaefer: Street Artist Speaks Out About His Arrest for Chalking at a Chase Bank". LA Weekly. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  13. Chang, Brittany. "A NYC gallery just became the first to display crypto art physically — see how it works". Business Insider. Retrieved July 16, 2021.
  14. Myers, Jesse. "The 9 Best Arists in Bitcoin". Once In A Species. Retrieved September 14, 2023.
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