Exploring the Transitory | Holly Newton Swift

Exploring the Transitory, a SPOTLIGHT exhibition of new paintings and drawings by Holly Newton Swift, opens March 13th at Groveland Gallery. A native of Illinois, Swift received her MFA from the Art Institute of Chicago and moved to Minnesota in 1996. Swift’s work can be found in public and private collections throughout the region.

Abstract and loosely painted on a framework of geometry, Swift’s work knits together scenes of the rugged northern Minnesota wilderness, primarily the North Shore. The paintings and drawings in this exhibit illustrate the many variations of weather and atmosphere that shift and change throughout the seasons. At times­, a soft palette illustrates the calm of a placid day, and in other works, the interaction of line and color accentuate the fierce temperament of ­this northern landscape. More than illustrations of a landscape, these paintings evoke the experience of being outdoors.

As the artist writes, “Painting and drawing outdoors from winter to spring, I respond most intensely to the sensations and beauty in nature’s fleeting moments. I find myself drawn to what is elusive and difficult to catch – waves crashing, ice melting, reflections shifting – all related to a world that is evolving and dissolving. These works explore my response to the transient landscape. This engagement with constant change kept my paintings open and exploratory, leading me to unexpected paint application and use of color.”

Exploring the Transitory opens on March 13, 2021 and runs concurrently with Untying Time by Dan & Lee Ross.