Inventory: Carolyn Swiszcz

Carolyn Swiszcz’s paintings and linoleum prints of unpopulated streets put a humorous and sometimes eerie complexion on dozens of familiar St. Paul landmarks. The five new short videos in “Inventory,” which include actors, puppets and diegetic voices, are rendered in her irresistible style. A church and grocery store are just a few of the stages in Super Bowl Sunday, Pizza, and Shrine, each of which are based on poignantly personal vignettes from her Massachusetts hometown. The gallery will include sculptures from the videos that are particularly strong narrative devices and have a presence Swiszcz describes as “quietly devout.” “Inventory” is the first installment of an ongoing project that will develop over the next few years. Swiszcz has been featured in recent group and one-person exhibitions at venues including the Minneapolis Institute of Art and Highpoint Center for Printmaking.

Watch a video interview of Carolyn Swiszcz

Inverse Echo: Jonathan Kaiser

Jonathan Kaiser’s “Inverse Echo” is an engaging sonic experience, a sculptural sound installation featuring a quartet of custom-made vinyl records on continuous repeat. Kaiser is interested in the tension between circular and linear conceptions of time, using looped records to explore the interconnection between past, present, and future. By varying the playback speed of the different records, he creates a perpetually shifting four-channel composition, evolving even as it repeats. The sculptural and spatial elements of the installation address related themes of symmetry and repetition. Kaiser is an internationally recognized musician and his one-person exhibition, “Blind Arcade,” was recently presented at the Rochester Art Center.

Watch a video interview of  Jonathan Kaiser 

The opening reception for “Inverse Echo” and “Inventory” will be January 15, 2015 from 7-9 p.m.

The artist talks are scheduled for February 19, 2015 at 7 p.m.