For the first time in its history, the Nasher Sculpture Center is featuring a Dallas-based artist within its halls.
Erick Swenson, a graduate of University of North Texas, is displaying his two latest artworks in the latest installment of the Sightings: New Art series.
The series invites both established and emerging contemporary sculptors to create new work based in the modernist style. Swenson first gained international attention when his work was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of Art in New York in 2004.
Swenson’s sculptures are held in the Whitney’s permanent collections now, as well as the collections of the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth and the Saatchi Collection in London.
“The Nasher Sculpture Center is thrilled to be the first museum in Dallas to feature the works of Erick Swenson, who has lived and worked in Dallas since the late 1990s. Mr. Swenson created two new works in the exhibition, Scuttle and Schwärmerei, both of which were completed in 2012,” said PR and Social Media Coordinator Julius Pickenpack.
The sculptures are being held in the Lower Level Gallery, a space that the Nasher says allows the artist to create the appropriate theatrical setting for experiencing the exhibit.
The artist employs meticulous detail and labor heavy techniques to crate lifelike sculptures. The artworks take months, sometimes years, to construct, making Swenson’s art incredibly rare.
“Erick Swenson received national and international acclaim for his polyurethane resin sculptures of animals. He specializes in making his sculptures look incredibly realistic,” Pickenpack said.
The artist’s latest work continues his tradition of sculpting vignettes of animals trapped in fantastical circumstances.
The two pieces of art, which make up the entirety of the exhibit, include a full-size decomposing deer and an installation composed of a beer stein and hundreds of snails.
Pickenpack said, “The works in Sightings: Erick Swenson continue to expand the artist’s exploration of the human experience through animal avatars.”
The exhibit, which opened during the Dallas Art Fair last week and remains open to the public through July 8, will also include a discussion between Swenson and the Nasher’s curator Jed Morse on April 28.
A part of the 360: Artists, Critics, Curators speaker series, Swenson will also show a slideshow of his recent work.
“The 360 speaker series is a great opportunity for visitors to learn more about the ever-expanding art world. The talks are free with paid admission,” said Pickenpack.
The Nasher invites students to visit both the exhibit and lecture, offering discounted admission Tuesday through Sunday with their SMU ID.