The work of sculptor Danielle Swift is featured in Broken Narrative, a new show at the Maple Ridge Art Gallery.
The exhibition also features a short video by Lisa G. Neilsen that profiles Swift in her Parker Street studio working with concrete, steel, and beeswax, the essential elements in her largely figurative sculptures.
The title of both the exhibition and video, Broken Narrative, refers to the storytelling component exhibited in Swift’s work, as suggested by the regular appearance of harpies and other semi-mythical beings.
Any attempt to strand together the lines of story, myth and messaging are ultimately frustrated as Swift shifts away from a clear summation of her work, either as individual pieces or in ensemble form. “
I really don’t see this body of work as its own entity or as a completion of an idea … I really see it more as an extension of my past work and part of the evolution for future work” says Swift.
Swift was raised in Maple Ridge but now spends much of her time engaged in her studio practice in East Vancouver. She is a graduate of the University of the Fraser Valley Fine Art program and teaches art to kids part-time at The ACT Arts Centre and Theatre.
Also on view in the gallery are mixed media paintings by Ashley Paquette. Paquette’s work was selected for its thematic affinities with Swift’s work, and its inclusion in the show often works to extend the ethereal vistas offered by the Swift’s sculptures.
Meet the artists
Danielle Swift and Ashley Paquette will be present at the opening reception on Saturday, Oct. 20 from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The exhibition will be on display until Nov. 17 at the art gallery, located inside the ACT in Maple Ridge.
