“Ian Swordy: Direct Carving at Duck Creek,” an outdoor exhibition of recent marble sculptures by Ian L.C. Swordy, is on view at the Arts Center at Duck Creek in Springs daily, from dawn to dusk, through the spring. The installation, organized in collaboration with Entrance Gallery in New York City and Moskowitz Bayse in Los Angeles, includes three monumental sculptures and one pedestal piece.
Mr. Swordy’s artistic practice explores the physical and philosophical dimensions of carving, treating the process as both a form of live performance and a meditation on material transformation. Working primarily with marble, the artist juxtaposes meticulously polished surfaces with raw textures and found objects, to engage with themes of permanence, imperfection, and artistry.
“Duck Creek Farm provides a fitting backdrop for Swordy’s work, inviting visitors to experience these marble sculptures in an open-air setting steeped in history and natural beauty,” says Jess Frost, the venue’s co-founder and executive director.
In a video from Brooklyn Rail about “The Return,” one of his sculptures on view at Entrance’s Red Hook sculpture garden, Mr. Swordy discussed his process:
“When we say direct carving, we mean we’re not making a model in a softer material or in a digital space and imposing it onto the stone as if it’s just this plastic receptacle. But we just start carving in and we find the natural grain and the internal crystalline structure, the natural properties of the stone, and we let that determine the final form and hope that this sort of curious and playful approach translates into the final sculpture.”
Mr. Swordy earned a B.F.A. from Hunter College in 2007 and an M.F.A. from Yale University in 2009. In addition to the show at Entrance, he has shown at Moskowitz Bayse, the Berkshire Botanical Gardens, the Hand Gallery in Brooklyn, and Barn Arts in Barnard, Vt., among others. His work is currently featured in “Grace Under Fire,” a group exhibition on view through Jan. 11 at the Shepherd Center in Detroit.
