A. Swiderski
POM–––PALM
June 7 – 30, 2018

The arid climate and alkali soil of the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona
help to adequately preserve retired United States aircraft. This same desert basin
occupies the frontlines of the intercontinental Argentine Ant supercolony. In the dirt,
shade cloth and swamp coolers provide a shield and a sense of belonging.
Arthritic joints hurt less where the sun shines.    

Hummingbird:  Oh! But Garland!

    I flutter-flied over for

    I thought you were a flower link

  upon

    which

    for me to feast!

Garland:           I am only made of thread, but I am commonly confused.

Though the flower strand and I are not so far…

H:                    Is it nourishment and delight you can provide?

G:                    Nourishment, no, but certainly delight! Like the flower, I am not cause for celebration so much as an avid and active celebratory participant!

H:                     You boast.

G:                     I am an object of beauty perhaps more than most.

H:                     Go on…

G:                     Much like the flower strand I am sweetness for the eyes.

H:                     The beak?

G:                    And best of all I can live 100 years or more, if properly taken care of.

H:                    But have you any nectar?

G:                    Not a drop.

H:                    Without even a drop of nectar, you, Garland, are about as sweet to me as the innards of an ant. A misleading sweetness is a bitter one with perhaps but no sweetness at all.

A. Swiderski (b. late 20th century, California), is an artist living in Tucson, Arizona. Swiderski’s recent solo presentations include: Brushing Out the Brood Mare's Tale (Nationale, Portland, OR; 2017), The Good The Bad and The Ugly (Open Gallery, Portland, OR; 2015), and Inside-of (Nationale, Portland; 2014). She has been included in group exhibitions at Everybody Gallery (Tucson, AZ; 2018), West Reading Museum of Temporary Art (West Reading, PA; 2018), One Grand Gallery (Portland, OR; 2018), Nationale’s booth at KSMoCA International Art Fair with Converge 45 (Portland, OR; 2017), Grapefruits (Portland, OR; 2017), the Emily Davis Gallery at the University of Akron (Akron, OH; 2016), David Risley Gallery (Copenhagen, DK; 2016), Steinsland Berliner Gallery (Stockholm, SE; 2016), Agnes B's Gallerie du Jour (Paris, FR; 2016) and Nationale (Portland; 2016). Swiderski received her BFA from the Pacific Northwest College of Art where she received numerous awards for her writing and painting. 

Photos by Mario Gallucci