Artist Statement:
I began painting, working in oils, in the summer of 2016. I am interested in the way the images in a painting can convey several meanings simultaneously, much like in a dream, and how images are open to the interpretation of the observer based on the personal narrative they bring to the experience of viewing.
This series developed out of a dozen collages I made in a flurried burst one afternoon; after a period of trying to find some direction with my work, I realized I’d discovered a year’s worth of ideas to paint. Various images repeat and echo one another, hinting at the universal experience of interior states and multiple selves, either shared or kept private: defiance, vanity, torment, rest, fragmentation, compassion, and delight.
Kara Swedlow
