I work in multiple mediums including Acrylics, Oils, and Wearable Sculptures. Each avenue of work is completely different from the next, but all started as responses to my environment and life at the time.
Wearable Sculptures: I create sculptures for people to wear – anything from a small piece of jewelry, to a large and dramatic full sculptural look. I enjoy collaborating with musicians, performers, and individuals who love to make bold and elegant fashion statements. This process began in New York City, where I found a creative nightlife that inspired me to create large scale installations. Wanting to add performance and movement to my sculptures, they evolved into wearable sculptures, in the form of body attachments, headpieces, and jewelry.
Acrylic Paintings: After moving to Berlin and experiencing a different city energy, I began playing around with acrylics, and found a freedom in using this medium, which offered a counter balance to my detailed work in oils and sculptures. I began freely responding to mood, mostly induced by music and mental noise, and created a series of paintings that records a unique emotional state at a specific point in time.
Columns in the NYC subway system reveal decades through layers of multi-colored paint that is peeling due to water corrosion, time, and humans peeling off the paint as they wait for the train. These factors contribute to creating a random and colorful design that only exists for a short amount of time before being covered by the next layer of paint. Captivated by these unintentional abstract compositions, I started photographing them around the city, and began a series of paintings that capture this unique stamp in time.
www.swainart.net
www.misassembled.com
instagram: @swain_art