Karen Swyler: New Work
April 6 - April 29, 2007Opening Reception First Friday, April 6, 5-9pm Artist Statement
The nuances of human communication and interaction are the basis for my work. My specific interest lies in subtle exchanges that occur in intimate situations, frequently without words. Body language and gesture can communicate more emotion than spoken word. Vessel forms are vehicles for representation of understated human emotions and delicate situations.
Sensuous surfaces, muted colors, and fluid forms create quiet relationships meant to entice visually and physically. Formal situations result, acting as metaphors for arrays of intimate relationships. Due to their subtle nature, the nuances of these pieces take time to notice; they require close attention and a heightened level of involvement from the viewer. Closer investigation yields different colors; surfaces reveal themselves and hint at a level more sensually profound.
This work derives largely from personal experience. Different interactions, as I have experienced them, become the basis for the work’s emotional and physical content. These interchanges occur through a touch, a glance, a smell, or a whispered word. They are quiet, subtle, and often transitory. Each piece is a unique representation of these ideas, operating in its own way. Through this work, I seek to create a permanent manifestation of these experiences and convey the emotional significance of communication without words.
--Karen Swyler