Jefri Schmidt

Senior Thesis Art Exhibition

Jefri Schmidt

ARTIST STATEMENT

I fell in love with Football at a young age. Depending on where I lived, the name of the sport switched between Football and Soccer, but the game stayed constant. Football appears to be a game of finesse, but beneath the surface is a battle of physical superiority. During matches throughout my career, I have felt like a gladiator on the pitch, fighting for survival in an arena filled with rowdy spectators. Across three continents and two decades, the Beautiful Game has allowed me to find a shared identity with locals and easily blend into new cultures.

In these four pieces, I depict the football kit as if it were a suit of armor — because it is. The collaged works feature battle-worn uniforms from my playing career, and examine the combative nature of Football by borrowing from contemporary military iconography. The camouflage pieces also serve as a testament to Football’s ability to assimilate individuals into groups, like stripes on a zebra.

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