Painting & Looking & Painting is a series of new and reworked acrylic and monotype canvases by Carolyn Swiszcz. Wonderings about buildings and passers-by, enigmatic portraits of animals and plants, and the features of others’ front yards thematically recur throughout the work. The exhibition is chock-full of Swiszcz's signature mix of colorful patterns and keen observation with a dash of melancholy.

ARTIST STATEMENT

Painting scenes from my daily life adds mystery and excitement to my experience of the world. Looking and making are part of a cycle, with each practice enriching the other. Recent subjects include yards I encounter on neighborhood walks, places I visit on errands, our cats lurking around waiting to be fed, and buildings that pique my curiosity. The quiet presence of the animals and trees in these paintings adds a bit of magic or suggests an otherworldly witness.

After two years of experimental work that included a foray into small sculptures, I decided to return to painting. Many of the works in this exhibition have been lingering in my studio for some time. I have a tendency to avoid making final decisions by starting something new, but this year I summoned the discipline to complete the detail work I don't always enjoy.

I want to show viewers recognizable places and objects without rendering them in an excessively fussy or realistic way. There is a tension between communicating what's in my memory and heart and leaving enough room for abstraction, texture, surprise, and mood to find their way in.

The how of a work—the layers and processes that build an image—holds as much interest for me as the subject matter itself. The suspense of seeing an experiment unfold is the carrot that keeps me moving forward. I especially love the surprises of printmaking: creating a stencil, stamp, or process, then stepping back to see how it plays out, imperfections and all.

My overarching goal is to arrive somewhere that honors my initial inspiration but also surprises me with something I didn't know I could make.

ARTIST BIO

Born and raised in New Bedford, MA, Carolyn Swiszcz followed an older brother to the Midwest for college, earning a BFA in printmaking at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Swiszcz is renowned for making uncanny yet affectionate suburban landscapes, employing painting and printmaking techniques, vibrant colors, and distinctive patterns. Swiszcz’s proclivity for experimentation has also led her to create songs, music videos, and animations. She currently publishes a mail-order zine, Zebra Cat Zebra.

Swiszcz’s work has been exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Art; Highpoint Center for Printmaking, Minneapolis; Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery, New York; and Steven Zevitas Gallery, Boston. Her prints have been published by Highpoint Editions in Minneapolis. She is a recipient of the Jerome, McKnight, Bush, and Minnesota State Arts Board artist fellowships. She lives in West Saint Paul, MN, with her husband (photographer Wilson Webb) and their daughter.