Art Map Burlington, May 2007

ART REVIEW

Tari Swenson: Inside the Brush

Tari Swenson’s mastery of calligraphy is clearly in evidence at her show at Amy E Tarrant Gallery. Eighteen works form a remarkable narrative circling the gallery, and bold brush strokes on a large scale greet the eye immediately. The lingering observer is treated to a range of influences from an artist who adeptly marries the spontaneous with the controlled.

Courage II (36”x48”, 36”x24”, acrylic & sumi ink on rice paper on canvas, 2007) comprises a single, powerful brush stroke which jumps the gap between two canvases, black ink pooling dramatically at beginning and end. This central statement is augmented by leaf-green lines and spatters.

A stunning threesome of paintings, their titles taken from Rilke, are themselves a visual poem. In Side by Side (18”x18”, sumi ink & watercolor on rice paper on canvas, 2007), black ink forms again occupy the center of the canvas: two graceful masses hover together like birds against a column of spring green. A wave layered over calligraphy obscures two thirds of the canvas in Loving the Distance (18”x18”, sumi ink & watercolor on rice paper on canvas, 2007), while Against the Sky (18”x18”, sumi ink & watercolor on rice paper on canvas, 2007) is an unrestrained burst of emphatic black and seaspray green, offering a resolution.

Elsewhere, the same media are used to more traditional affect. Spring Comes, Triptych (60”x12” each, watercolor & sumi ink on rice paper on canvas, 2007) recalls elegant Zen lines, showing strength in restraint with graceful, reedy brush strokes. Emphasizing the arc of spring, a narrow stem plays across the first two canvases, shadowed by lighter green, toward the flower’s blossom. The three canvases bring to mind the life of the flower while also forming its whole.

“The brush sings & the ink dances,” written on a wall in the artist’s hand, affirms Swenson’s respect for the components of her craft, not merely as tools, but as symbols.

G. BLAKE MACPHAIL

Art Map Burlington ARTICLE
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Quietly From Within 24x 48 by Tari Swenson acrylic, sumi ink, Wax, Coffee, Tea, Watercolor on rice paper on canvas Amy E. Tarrant Gallery Flynn Center for the Performing Arts 153 Main Street (802) 652-4505 www.flynncenter.org		ART REVIEW Tari Swenson: Inside the Brush Tari Swenson’s mastery of calligraphy is clearly in evidence at her show at Amy E Tarrant Gallery. Eighteen works form a remarkable narrative circling the gallery, and bold brush strokes on a large scale greet the eye immediately. The lingering observer is treated to a range of influences from an artist who adeptly marries the spontaneous with the controlled. Courage II (36”x48”, 36”x24”, acrylic & sumi ink on rice paper on canvas, 2007) comprises a single, powerful brush stroke which jumps the gap between two canvases, black ink pooling dramatically at beginning and end. This central statement is augmented by leaf-green lines and spatters. A stunning threesome of paintings, their titles taken from Rilke, are themselves a visual poem. In Side by Side (18”x18”, sumi ink & watercolor on rice paper on canvas, 2007), black ink forms again occupy the center of the canvas: two graceful masses hover together like birds against a column of spring green. A wave layered over calligraphy obscures two thirds of the canvas in Loving the Distance (18”x18”, sumi ink & watercolor on rice paper on canvas, 2007), while Against the Sky (18”x18”, sumi ink & watercolor on rice paper on canvas, 2007) is an unrestrained burst of emphatic black and seaspray green, offering a resolution. Elsewhere, the same media are used to more traditional affect. Spring Comes, Triptych (60”x12” each, watercolor & sumi ink on rice paper on canvas, 2007) recalls elegant Zen lines, showing strength in restraint with graceful, reedy brush strokes. Emphasizing the arc of spring, a narrow stem plays across the first two canvases, shadowed by lighter green, toward the flower’s blossom. The three canvases bring to mind the life of the flower while also forming its whole. “The brush sings & the ink dances,” written on a wall in the artist’s hand, affirms Swenson’s respect for the components of her craft, not merely as tools, but as symbols. G. BLAKE MACPHAIL

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