Artists

In an increasingly technological world, Lori Swartz is interested in the dichotomy of a private versus public persona, and the way we tend to struggle with this as a culture. Through the layering of shapes, words, and colors, Swartz examines the effort to divulge by sanding through layers of paint and unreadable text, "excavating" imagery that is often unexpected. In such actions, she wishes to emphasize the importance of authenticity, being present, and being curious.
Swartz's work often features juxtapositions of unusual colors, thick bold lines, and the use of resins or waxes to add texture and layers. U-shapes, striping and calligraphic scribbles make appearances in many of her paintings, seeming to form a code known only to Swartz. Steering away from recognizable imagery, Swartz creates “lines and spaces that can be inhabited by the viewer.” The focus of her content is the medium, the entire process of painting. Once the painting is complete, it is then the viewers turn to insert themselves into it and create their own stories, to actively participate in the viewing.

A self-taught emerging artist, Swartz has been shown and collected throughout the Southwest and is now making her mark on the Northwest art scene. She currently lives and works in New Mexico.

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