Ena Swansea: Behind the scene

The paintings are often large which gives them a human scale and presence when seen in the flesh. The use of both line and colour is expressive - sometimes the scenes have a feeling of motion blur or narrow depth of field with certain areas freely rendered and others in crisp detail. The subject matter is often a recognisable space, but somehow changed so it is unfamiliar. 

The subject matter is often rooted in the every day, but there is perhaps a tie here to Cinéma Vérité where the ordinary becomes extraordinary under scrutiny. However, some of Swansea's works are less tied to reality and use luminescent colours and we are viewing a scene that is on the edge of disintegration. 

The subject matter of these works has personal meaning for Swansea, but she is completely open to the interpretation of her works from the viewer and is aware that her conscious understanding of it is surely only the tip of the iceberg. In the video below she discusses the exhibition, the narratives behind some of the works and the ideas that she was considering while painting these works and putting this show together.