Susan Schwalb

Susan Schwalb is one of the foremost figures in the revival of the ancient technique of silver – and more generally, metal point drawing, while challenging the traditional, mostly figurative conception. The American artist takes the medium to new levels and translates it into a contemporary aesthetic.

Schwalb’s minimalist abstract compositions of narrow horizontal or diagonal lines and geometric patterns are elegant and subtle and evoke an atmosphere of serenity. The peculiarities of the diverse metals Schwalb is using – among them silver, gold, brass, copper, platinum, pewter, bronze and aluminum – allow for soft shifts of tone and color and cause ephemeral qualities and a shimmering luminosity, which is unlike any of the usual effects in line drawing. The artist additionally explores the nuances of the different metals by carefully preparing the paper in saturated colours of pigmented gesso such as black, red, yellow, blue or green. Schwalb then takes advantage of the paper’s haptic quality to accentuate the complex interplay of the many gradations of line and colour. The works on black and white ground are meditative and quiet, often possessing more tonal hues, whilst in the works focusing on color, the metal point compositions develop more patterned structures where drawing and painting elements become fused.

Submitted by Patrick Heide Contemporary Art