Carroll Swenson-Roberts

Quarentine COnversations: An Interview with Carroll Swenson-Roberts

“LANGUAGE IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE.” THAT’S CARROLL SWENSON-ROBERTS’ TAKE ON HER COMMUNICATION STYLE. INSTEAD, SHE USES COLOR, PATTERN, SPACE AND SHAPE TO TELL THE STORIES ABOUT THE FIGURES AND MOMENTS THAT OCCUPY HER WORK. AS A YOUNG ARTIST GROWING UP IN A LARGE IRISH CATHOLIC FAMILY, SWENSON-ROBERTS WAS DRAWN TO MEDIEVAL ART AND ITS SYMBOLISM.  HER NARRATIVE ART DRAWS ON EVENTS FROM HER LIFE. THE DOMESTIC LIFE SERIES INVOLVE TALES AND MYTHS FROM HER CHILDHOOD AND FOLLOWS HER PATH AS A WIFE, MOTHER AND SOMEONE WHO WAS DIAGNOSED WITH CANCER AND RECOVERED FROM IT. THOSE EVENTS HAVE LED THE SUBJECT OF HER WORK TO BECOME FOCUSED ON THE SURPRISE AND JOY OF AN ORDINARY LIFE.  CARROLL SWENSON-ROBERTS GREW UP IN DALLAS, TEXAS. SHE RECEIVED A BFA FROM THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN.  CARROLL SWENSON-ROBERTS AND FOUR OTHER ARTISTS STARTED PIC/NIC STUDIOS IN DALLAS IN 2015.  ​​

Carroll Swenson-Roberts, Napping Couch, 2016, Mixed Media on Wood Panels, Top Panel: 3.75X10X3, Bottom Panel: 6X9X2