ATLANTA, GA.- The Savannah College of Art and Design presents Caught Captive by acclaimed artist Erick Swenson. The exhibition will be on display at the Trois Gallery, 1600 Peachtree St., Dec. 7-Jan. 24. A reception will be held Jan. 14, 6 p.m. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public.
"Caught Captive" is an exhibition of naturalistic cast resin sculpture that showcases Swenson's hyper-realistic hybrid creatures frozen in moments of dramatic tension or austere isolation. Situated between art and science, Swenson's masterfully crafted, allegorical creatures denote the delicate balance in nature, the allure of death and the vulnerability of life.
Swensons appeal is vast from admirers of anatomical drawing to special effects enthusiasts. The work can be a bit deceiving at first glance. In Carpet Piece the carpet, which appears to be a woven rug, is actually made of carefully hand-painted fiberglass. Swensons hybrid animal called a muncie is not as naturalistic as it may seem. The fawn-like animal has the ears of a rabbit and the nose of a dog.
Ericks sculptures are incredible on both a formal and conceptual level. The detail is awe-inspiring, which is what initially draws you in. Then once in front of the pieces, you begin to consider their complexity, notes Senior Curator Melissa Messina.
Swensons career skyrocketed after his Carpet Piece sculpture was exhibited in the 2004 Whitney Biennial in New York. He has since exhibited nationally and internationally. Swenson was born in 1972 in Phoenixville, Pa. He holds a B.F.A. in studio art with a focus on drawing and painting from the University of North Texas. Swenson has had solo exhibitions in such locations as the James Cohan Gallery in New York City; the UCLA Hammer Museum in Los Angeles; and the Villa Stuck in Munich, Germany. Group shows include Art in America: Now at Shanghai MOCA in Shanghai, China, and USA Today at the Saatchi Gallery in London, England.
Select works of Erick Swenson are permanently held in public collections including the Modern Art Museum of Ft. Worth, Texas; the Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, Hawaii; the Saatchi Collection in London, England; and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York City. National and international publications including Art in America, Artforum, Newsweek and TimeOut New York have featured articles highlighting his work. Swenson currently lives and works in Dallas, Texas.