Schwindt, Grace
Grace Schwindt’s practice is focused on performance and film. More recently she has also produced drawings and sculpture. Many of her works explore aspects of historical events, with an emphasis on social relations.
Bird with Stretched Neck, 2018 is part of Schwindt’s investigation into the fragility of the body in relation to a world driven by capitalist motivations. Her research began with a trip to the Shetland Islands, where she interviewed local people about the effects of the oil industry on their community. Specifically, she focused on her conversations with a ‘birder’, who described picking up injured, oiled birds, refusing to wear gloves. The artist imagined herself flying, her arms around a bird’s neck, stretching and thinning its body with her weight, then landing on the ocean. Resting, 2018 combines the bird figure with that of a dancer. It reflects on a conversation between the artist and her grandfather, who aimed to dance each day after the Second World War; even on his deathbed, he performed brief dance movements with his feet and hands. The bronze bird figure lies draped across a smooth, oval base. Cobalt oxide mixed with a transparent glaze marks where the figure meets the stand, emphasising the moment of encounter between the two.
- Artwork Details: 25 x 15 x 15cm
- Edition: 1 of 3 + 1 AP
- Material description: Bronze, ceramic, oxide glazing
- Credit line: © the artist
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- Accession number: ACC9/2019