Bio
Born and raised in New Bedford, MA, Carolyn Swiszcz followed an older brother to the midwest, earning a BFA in printmaking at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design. Carolyn is renowned for making uncanny yet affectionate suburban landscapes, employing a wide range of painting and printmaking techniques, vibrant colors, and distinctive patterns. Carolyn’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.
Carolyn’s work has been exhibited at the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Miyako Yoshinaga Gallery in New York, Highpoint Center for Printmaking in Minneapolis, and Steven Zevitas Gallery in 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.
Artist Statement
I’m drawn to the textures and stories I find in my daily travels. The subjects of my work tug at my heartstrings for reasons that sometimes only become clear in the process of making the work. Ultimately, rendering scenes from my life adds mystery and magic to how I actually experience the world. Looking and making is a cycle, with each practice continually enriching the other.
The “how” of a work -- the layers that build an image -- holds as much interest for me as the subject matter. 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 and then stepping back to watch it play out with all its imperfections.
Many of my images have a plot twist during creation - hence the proliferation of seams and the use of collage. I’m inclined to dramatically change compositions or take an element from one setting to place it in another, creating new combinations that suddenly evoke a different mood. This allows me to arrive at a destination I could not have reached by a direct route.
Photo by Wilson Webb