My work includes a series of abstract paintings on paper, window installations,
video and animation. Within these works I explore ideas of dissonance, harmony,
convergences and the nuances that lie in between. I’m interested in the
dialogues that can occur when two disparate forms exist in the same
environment. This curiosity evolved with my observations of the urban landscape;
the strong architectural lines of a building existing with the organic forms of
clouds passing behind it or the desire paths left by pedestrians seeking the route
of least resistance. I’m inspired by psychogeographic theories, the power of
color and the poetics of time and space.

Most recently, my explorations have been focused on painting. The materials I
use are synthetic and intended for commercial applications such as print
advertising and sign painting. The consistency of the paint varies from thin and
diluted to heavy brush filled strokes that create washes of organic forms that coexist
with the glossy, hard edges of solid forms. The fluid paints blend into each
other creating new colors, leaving behind meandering striations over time.
Desire paths emerge on the paper, responding to the uneven surface of my
studio floor. The outcome of mixing these processes is a unique conversation
between the two forms.

The window installations and video animations give me the freedom to bring
ideas out of the studio and into the environment. This work takes me outside
where I eagerly wander on a constant quest for new sites. I mixed my love of
painting and technology to create site-specific works that incorporate
architecture and, sometimes, audience. Because of the ephemeral nature of
the work, documentation of these pieces exists in still images.

  - Cornelia White Swann