Brandon Schnotala does what he wants.
He loves art, so that’s what he pursues. Before college, he didn’t weigh the pros and cons between career options or how much he might earn. Schnotala knew what he wanted to do and nothing else mattered.
His chief rule is there are no rules, eclecticism at its finest. He might not say as much, but looking through his portfolio, he covers the bases from hand drawn abstracts to Shakespearean poetry and rap lyrics.
His chief tool is his computer with which he creates electronic paintings reminiscent of 1960s LSD trips. Each piece is a study in pattern, texture and color, and they seem to move and swirl when viewed.
Schnotala is not pretentious about his work and describes his creative process in plain language.
“I don’t really have a message behind any of these pieces; I just think they look cool,” Schnotala said.
Schnotala is a Ferris senior looking to graduate from the television and digital media production program in May. Like many of his peers, life after college looks uncertain, but he hopes to land an internship with the rapper Tech 9.
“I’m a big fan of his music label and I would really love to do his music videos. I want to do more music videos, maybe work with the Music Industry Management Association (MIMA) a lot more,” he said.
Last year, Schnotala helped produce a music video for the local band Overdrive Orchestra, whose musicians are either current or former members of MIMA.
His musical interests are just as broad as his artistic expressions. He enjoys folk music, Lana Del Ray and even listens to classical piano when he needs to focus.
“I tried doing homework to hip-hop. It’s hard, actually impossible, for me. Just last week I listened to six straight hours of piano. Mozart, Beethoven,” he said.
To top it off, Schnotala plugs in some metal from time to time, enjoying the sounds of bands like Dream Theater.
True to his layered, eclectic nature, Schnotala also has a philosophical side, a part of him that carefully considers the life he lives. He is passionate about the world around him and wants to live a life in harmony with others.
Schnotala mentioned Recognize M.C. and his song “Deep Fried” in which the rapper talks about the dangerous growing methods of suppliers for the fast food industry. After taking a biology class, Schontala holds concern about the environment and the food he eats.
“When I get out of college, I want to get a house with about an acre of land and grow my own fruits and vegetables. I think if the system we live in were to collapse, it could collapse the right way if people have good ethics. It can’t be fixed with policy. It will never even itself out,” he said.
“You should live and let live,” Schnotala admonishes. “I think that’s the only way to really fix it.”