From the sunny sandy beaches of Southern California to the desolate arid plateau of Ethiopia, Wayne Schoenfeld with his photographs and video documentary of global humanitarian projects brought his passionate quest to alleviate the human suffering of the people in that region of Africa plagued by war, famine, drought, and illness, through the spreading of joy and happiness with the universal language of pantomime at the hands of Darwish the Clown, a Chaplinesque performer that after following a volunteer surgical team from the West operating in the hospital of Addis Abeba, is drawn beyond to the rural villages of Africa, where life is almost unbearable due to the numberless difficulties people face every day. The poignant photographs bringing out to life the tragedy of the ugly present but also the hope for a better future are displayed in the colorful book “Through This World But Once” (part of the “Eye To I” series), there are compassionate moments as well in the beautiful video documentary “The Memory Box”, in which he is the executive producer in co-production with Exeko and AuerFilms
Another of Wayne Schoenfeld outstanding work, “Almost Perfect”, (Independent Publisher’s Most outstanding Book of 2004), chronicles a volunteer American surgical team operating in Vietnam and their tireless work of helping children with disfiguring injuries and congenital conditions, the compassionate care to provide free reconstructive cleft-palate operations and other treatment to the children in need around the world. Don Roger ( Academy Award Winner), documents a mission of peace, unique acts of high values worth to be lived and witnessed.
Wayne Schoenfeld and Journalist Rex Weiner’s “Mission To India”, published by Great Circle Books in cooperation with American Photo Magazine, is an homage to the unwearying dedication of the volunteer surgical US team, Rotaplast’s mission to Karaikal, India.
“Brittle Glory: The Face of Change’, a collection of intimate portraits were taken in the Cuban countryside and the Kurdish territories in Southeastern Turkey; “Surface Tension”, a selection of portraits and impressions of the female body; “Through The Eyes of The Man Erotic”, a persona reinterpretation of the biblical stories in a modern context; “There Are No Answers If The Questions Aren’t Asked” in English and Korean edition, about the importance of always questioning in pursuit of the truth.
These are a unique line of books that use the photographic arts to enlight and benefit humanitarian efforts around the World and funds raised through the sale of them are designated to support a number of charities
“Icon and Iconoclast”, one of his latest works about recreating as “tableau vivant”, the circus life and its characters during the Depression-era was shown successfully in Montreal Cirque du Soleil‘s headquarter.
A man of creative visionary force, Schoenfeld has pursued such diverse careers as psychotherapist and co-founder of Los Angeles Guidance and Counseling Service, talk show host, and international airline president of Air L.A. He served as the entrepreneurial force behind a partnership for innovative motion
picture technologies including the Sarnoff Research Center and Technicolor. He is a member of the photographic art councils of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and the Santa Barbara Art Museum.
Schoenfeld’s images are found in galleries, museums, and private collections throughout North America, Asia, and Europe, they are part of the permanent collections of the National Museum of Contemporary art in Seoul, Korea, the Santa Barbara County Arts Commission, and the Cirque du Soleil. He has been profiled in television programs on American networks such as BRAVO and MBC Network Television. Wayne Schoenfeld continues to document in photographs and film/video the work of great charitable and volunteer actions around the globe to raise awareness, concern, and change for the benefit of the have not, he is a courageous example to follow