Rochelle: Swiv Tackle Circus. What is that?
Desiree: It is a Gallertique, a fusion of a gallery and a boutique. Swiv is for new days of living, embracing your inner glide. Tackle is short for spectacular! Circus stands for unity, community, fun, performance, joy, freedom, and art. We all bring something to the table and it makes for a good mix of vision, fine art and the modern day world.
Rochelle: Who is all? Shaney jo Darden, the fine art curator and over-all Swiv Maestro.
She has a huge roster of artists in which to choose. Blackass is the resident DJ & “shop guy”. He’s a Swiv genius out of this world.
I do the PR,, marketing, art dealing and artist management.
Kirsten Kuhn, keeps the books.
Rochelle: You have an array of T Shirts in the Gallery.
Desiree: Yes, we carry local and international friends, like Obey and Pony Attack!!,
Lewsader, Lovewright Co., Pink Pistol and more. We are thrilled to premier William Attaway’s Collection II for Lewsader, encompassing 3 tee shirt designs all with limited edition with a real Attaway canvas swatch stitched on each one.
Stepping behind Swiv, we find four studio artists spaces and three are still for rent; there is a blog, on swivtacklecircus.blogspot.com. It is also home for Keep A Breast.
Two spaces are occupied, one by Brandon Lomax who is a talented illustrator pushing boundaries in his artwork. We are seeing new things from him all the time. I can see the influence of Swiv in his work and I’m looking forward to seeing the direction his illin’ illies will take.
Rochelle: Regarding William Attaway tell me how you feel about his work?
Desiree: His work is powerful. On another level, inspiring, beautiful, strong in presence yet amazingly approachable. His work crosses cultures and boarders, a hybrid of European, African, Ethiopian, Venice street art, you can see it in the bulbous, curvaceous figures seemingly floating in mid air. They find their balance, attracting the viewer to a sensation of utter purity and inner light. The paintings seem to glow from within, each contour line like velvet on the canvas. The sculptures are solid, strong, raw and smooth, weighing up to 1,000 lbs of ceramic vessels sculpted by Attaway’s own two hands. It is awe-inspiring to see these close up, as they are formed, cut, painted and handled by one talented man.
William Attaway’s final showing is tonight at Swiv. Reggae musician, David Kirton, will be playing as well. Stop by and check it out.