Artist Interview: Peter Skwiot Smith
Alison Citron, a freelance graphic designer living in Raleigh, North Carolina, is Mint’s newest contributor! She’ll be joining us once a month for interviews with contemporary artists. She loves to spend her time walking her dog, trying new recipes, and feeding her TV obsession. In her spare time, she is usually working on some sort of craft project or updating her blog. —Ellie
Sorrow & Joy I, Peter Skwiot Smith
When I first saw Peter Skwiot Smith’s work (on his website forms & shapes), I fell in love with his expressive abstract art, and evocative titles. This work began as a simple creative outlet, but quickly grew into a large collection of pieces.
Tell me about yourself. What inspires you?
Truth be told, I’ve always struggled with this question. I’m never sure what to say, or how to approach it. I guess the short of it is: my name is Peter Skwiot Smith. I’m originally from Saint Louis (MO), and other than a six month stint in Amsterdam, have called Saint Paul (MN) home since 2000. I graduated from the University of Minnesota (Twin Cities) in 2004, and have worked/freelance for a number of firms in the Twin Cities since then, but for the last four years, I’ve been at a small shop called bswing. I get to work on fascinating projects, they treat me incredibly well, and to say I’ve learned a lot would be a gross understatement.
I’m also never sure how to talk about the inspiration aspect of things. So much of it seems to come from just being and doing, but honestly, I know it sounds cliché to say ‘everything’ or ‘life,’ but the reality is that for me, it’s more about the moments, experiences and glimpses—those short bursts of information/experience that stick, and it’s the ‘moment’ aspect of life where the bulk of things happen. Even if I set out with an idea for a new work, rarely does that idea ever end up as the final piece. Most often the final product is a result of what I’m experiencing then and there (regardless of the medium), and rarely do I go return to fix things.
A lot of your older work is digital, but you seem to be working more with paint this year. What prompted that change?
I wish I could say it was something profound and deep, but honestly, I felt like I had hit a wall with my photography/digital work. I just didn’t know where to go next. In fairness, there is still a decent amount of my work that is created digitally, but I just felt it was time for something different/new. And this isn’t anything remotely related to an anti-digital/computer rant or any such thing. The time was right for something different. Something where I could get my hands dirty.
…And So I Went Through That Window, Peter Skwiot Smith
