The works of New York City artist Jane Swavely, known for her large, color-saturated abstractions, are on view at the Mandeville Gallery Feb. 8 through June 14.
A reception is set for Thursday, Feb. 27, 5-6:30 p.m. It is free and open to the public.
Swavely studied at Boston University and the School of Visual Arts in New York and is the recipient of a Ford Foundation Fellowship. She lives and works primarily on the Lower East Side as well as in the Catskills.
Although her canvases depict abstracted forms and colors, she says they are based in the landscape tradition, “exploring the boundary between the conscious and the subconscious, deriving inspiration from both the natural environment and supernatural forces.”
Her aim, she says, “is to create a place of space and light to inspire a shift in perception that is at once familiar and unfamiliar.”
With time spent in the Hudson Valley and sailing, Swavely cites the age-old influences of “the quiet mysteries of nature,” such as fog, wind, light and the dark woods. At the same time, she notes that contemporary images online have had an effect on her choice of palette and experimentation with color. She often works on canvases on the floor, applying paint with her hands and wiping them off with cotton rags.
Swavely’s work can be found in numerous public and private collections, including the JP Morgan Chase Art Collection and the Allentown Art Museum in Pennsylvania.
Previously represented by CDS Gallery in New York, she is a member and current president of the Board of Directors at A.I.R. Gallery in Brooklyn. Founded in 1972, A.I.R. is a non-profit artist-run exhibition space that supports the open exchange of ideas and risk-taking by self-identified women artists.
In addition to showing in solo exhibitions at A.I.R, CDS and other galleries, Swavely’s work has been included in group exhibitions in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Chicago, Philadelphia, St. Louis, Nashville and abroad. It also has been featured in numerous contemporary art publications, including the blogazine Two Coats of Paint and the global arts and culture magazine Cultbytes.
The Mandeville Gallery is open daily, 10 a.m.-6 p.m.