ROCKI SWIDERSKI // inside-of

On view April 25 - June 1, 2014
Opening reception First Friday, May 2 (6 p.m. - 9 p.m.)

The paintings, weavings, and furniture on view in artist Rocki Swiderski’s solo exhibition at Nationale, Inside-of, renounce staid traditions of representation for an instead joyous toying with medium specificity and illusion. 

Their vibrant, painted “roomscapes” open onto interiors that, while devoid of a human presence, resonate with life. This occurs less through the placement of minimalist decorations and more through the contrast between these simple objects and the suggested exterior terrain. Prominent windows open onto the dusty palette and the rocky formations of a vast, desert landscape. However, upon closer examination, details emerge that question the validity of this awe-inspiring view. Window frames evoke picture frames and shadows disobey the laws of nature. While the assumed dichotomies of interior/exterior, real/fake, eventually collapse, the visual play between them is nevertheless captivating. 

Similarly, Swiderski’s weavings and lounge chair explore this division between landscape and roomscape. Functioning as both utilitarian and decorative objects, they actively engage the viewers’ tactile responses while also evoking the dual sensation of viewing a Southwestern landscape from an airplane window.

BIO
Hailing from Long Beach, CA, Rocki Swiderski currently attends the Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, OR where their primary interests lie in painting, woodworking, and weaving. They have worked at the WildCraft Studio School in White Salmon, WA since 2012 and recently received an apprenticeship at Portland’s Columbia FiberArts Guild. Swiderski’s work has been shown locally at PNCA’s Higgins Gallery and the Museum of Contemporary Craft.