Karl Schwiesow: Sinking Feeling
The Green Boat, 2025, kayak, cut-out holes
May 8 2025 - October 8 2025
This year, we are excited to present the inimitable work of Karl Schwiesow. Working fluently in a variety material and scales, Schwiesow creates three-dimensional objects that arouse curiosity through humor and intrigue.
A skilled craftsman and self-described “re-arranger,” Schwiesow transforms familiar objects—whether cutting up a baseball bat and putting it back together in a new zig-zagging form or building a ceramic sculpture, he creates through an additive and subtractive process—creating both “out of parts.” With clay, he builds the parts first, which he later combines or edits. With domestic objects, he cuts them into pieces that may be recombined. In both approaches, he not only reconfigures physical components but also invites us to reconsider our cultural assumptions about these objects.
In his artists statement Schwiesow explains, “My art is rooted in exploring and expanding the physical and associative characteristics of an object’s original intention…and to invent creative formulas which weave together imagery, materials, and concepts in a way that re-frames meaning---at which point the object becomes a starting point for dialogue between our shared cultural experiences and assumptions.”
For this exhibition, Schwiesow built two new large-scale works to be placed in locations throughout the Art Park, and also inside MAM’s atrium. The Art Park is a collaboration between the City of Missoula, Adventure Cycling Association, and MAM. Spanning Pine Street—which separates MAM and ACA—the park offers sculpture placements on both sides, creating a dynamic urban art experience.
Schwiesow is a visual artist and educator based in Ellensburg, WA who earned his MFA from the University of Montana in 2017.