Ilana Zweschi
September 9, 2019
Ilana Zweschi makes process-based paintings that seek to disarm documents of propaganda and harmful pronouncements. The brushstrokes are determined by an algorithm rooted in color theory and if/then rules. The process is "like taking a gun and switching around its parts so the mechanism can no longer fire," she says. Ilana's paintings are a brilliant and beautiful pairing of her duel interests in Art and Math.
Yellowhammer, oil on canvas, 2018
Yellowhammer Original Text, oil paint, pen, pencil, and marker on primed paper, 2018
Yellowhammer Altered Text, oil paint, pen, pencil, and marker on primed paper, 2018
In Yellowhammer (2018) we see a glowing field of golden yellow punctuated by swirling, winding pinks, oranges, browns, and greens. The title is likely a reference to "Operation Yellowhammer," the secret no-deal Brexit document named for the bird common in British lore for its song of "A little bit of bread and no cheese." Here, the document is transformed from an anonymizing catastrophe plan into a discrete moment of beauty for the viewer.
Sinking Horse, oil on canvas, 2018
SYSTEMATIC CALCULATED GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED, oil on canvas, 2018
SYSTEMATIC CALCULATED GOVERNMENT SANCTIONED (2018) is colder and more structured— less frenetic than Yellowhammer. The mass scale implied by anything systematic and government sanctioned is mirrored by the large scale of this 9-panel polyptych. In this piece the banality of bureaucracy has become a moment of meditative stillness and interaction of color.
Blue Tower, oil on archival paper, 2019
Appaloosa, oil on canvas, 2018
On her website Zweschi sells a series of small works on paper, like Blue Tower (2019) and Dark Tower (2019), each of which stands as a powerful example of color harmony. It is a clever way of making her work affordable and accessible— common hurdles for painters. Zweschi is also a member of the artist run gallery SOIL and holds community in high regard. Art, after all, is a dialogue, a conversation with its audience. "Without community I find that I am repetitive and predictable," she says. "And I try to remember that lawyers change laws, doctors fix bodies, but artists change hearts."
Dark Tower, oil on archival paper, 2019
In February Ilana will be a part of the inaugural exhibition at the new Museum of Museums opening in Seattle. She also has a solo show scheduled at SOIL Gallery in Seattle in June. Follow along on Instagram to see what's next! @ilanazweschi
