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Department of Painting + Printmaking senior Nastassja Swift, who is also minoring in Craft/Material Studies, will be graduating this week with ten exhibitions under her belt and a digital gallery that she and fellow graduating senior Lizzy Servito launched in fall 2014.
During her third year at VCUarts, Swift took a lithography course with former Visiting Professor, Sean Joseph Patrick Carney. Carney, originally from Portland, shared with her class some of the ways his former students put their work out there for others to enjoy- transforming their living room into a gallery space, or gathering a group of artists to exhibit online. Swift became interested in the idea of exhibiting outside of the traditional gallery space and thought it would be a smart choice to attempt something along those lines here in Richmond. From that, Mist Gallery came to be and since its inception, emerging artists from across the country, even one abroad, have had works shown on Mist Gallery.
As for her own techniques, Swift lets her ideas decide the medium in which she works in.
“With painting, specifically oil paint, I am drawn to the richness and ability of thick applications to the surface. I even, weirdly enough, enjoy the way my skin feels oily after working on a painting. Textile techniques slow down that shuffle, but allows me to be more conscious of my material choices and consider all aspects of my concept due to the fact I often have to spend more time manipulating the piece. I can paint a face much faster than I can needle felt it out of wool, or weave it into a piece of fabric; but sometimes it’s not always about speed. I let the idea decide which medium will be most appropriate and translate that message to the viewer.” – Nastassja Swift
Swift was awarded a fellowship for The Vermont Studio Center Residency, where she will spend the month of August with 50 other visiting artists making work. As for the gallery, Swift and Servito will continue making way, developing and growing its presence.
