reach
©2016, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, gesso, cutout, permanent ink
and still, we have his bridge to cross again
(portrait of Senator John Lewis) ©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper from shredded maps, rice paper, black tape, soy based ink. Thanks to Jake Crandall, Photographer for source photography.
words matter, just words - consent or adulation
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
draws attention to the nouns, but it's the verbs that mount
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
allowed to rise most stand on their own together
©2020, Mike Sweeney, rinsed coffee filters, thread, garden cloth, soy based ink
sometimes, precipice
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
dazzled by false choices brother
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
who has the presidents ear
©2020, Mike Sweeney, watercolor paper, soy based ink, ball point pen
shake the ruts of America
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
all the way through gods green gates
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
subtle divides to the open airs
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
all news is local
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
peaceable assembly.jpg
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
on reflection not strictly speaking a shadow
©2012, Mike Sweeney, paper, soy based ink, laser printer toner
from the cat bird seat, words count
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
institutional voices
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
mumbles and whispers - its not what they shout
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
windows
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
group shrug in progress
©2019, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, tissue paper, cutout, soy based ink
be aware when the catbird takes your call
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
bus blues
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
hundreds of birds in progress2.JPG
©2020, Mike Sweeney, handwoven paper, rice paper, soy based ink
hard questions. should you take the microphone or speak into it?
©2020, Mike Sweeney, tissue paper, watercolor paper, soy based ink
conversation takes time
©2020, Mike Sweeney, watercolor paper, soy based ink, ball point pen
{"items":["9449a2e5-1ac5-4ea2-8b1b-8432f5e5cc5c","bb01bbe7-8b61-42f1-bb7a-60b61aaac84f","47cf7acf-452f-49cb-82e1-f428e1d2f4ea","d9178be6-0d4c-4569-aa73-44611aed9494","fa5916c6-7ca2-4f55-88fb-e4062f37467e","5d4803e7-79fb-4c82-9737-d003e5ad1864","01b47b21-4e65-4a7d-8a07-81320b93fdc5","e6a50afc-4f83-4afc-a24a-e8346f537fe1","5ff9c35f-3a2a-4140-99ec-4735d310ac0e","8512ee8d-627b-4653-ac56-17bcffb5efed","48c26912-9a9e-4999-be6f-9c5f1430c497","4148a7a6-692c-4439-92fc-8dd398a79756","8bbd3235-44e5-4aa0-b3f4-db5fd74d9765","422ccddc-2c07-4404-9357-2a0080735cfd","12102c74-e525-475c-b317-d1dceebe27e9","e6b4bcdf-e1ef-40d5-b72e-b0055487e143","fabfc24a-c847-48e4-bdb6-f3662c63738c","5a744179-dd33-463e-9b52-da4c31b8c9bd","16993662-1626-4f08-8c33-e8ac53bf4a6b","692167f7-9a81-4fbc-a5c5-00678e196d67","5bc85650-59f5-4330-8f26-a08555b25d6b","ec72d20e-3a62-4843-9c51-d0105ee0cfbc","0454d03f-8d31-47bf-ab40-4b1a316b1328","b90add92-2fe3-4769-a5d9-95164cbcc6e5"],"styles":{"galleryType":"Columns","groupSize":1,"showArrows":true,"cubeImages":true,"cubeType":"fit","cubeRatio":1,"isVertical":true,"gallerySize":9,"collageAmount":0,"collageDensity":0,"groupTypes":"1","oneRow":false,"imageMargin":4.5,"galleryMargin":0,"floatingImages":0,"chooseBestGroup":true,"smartCrop":false,"hasThumbnails":false,"enableScroll":true,"isGrid":true,"isSlider":false,"isColumns":false,"isSlideshow":false,"cropOnlyFill":false,"fixedColumns":3,"enableInfiniteScroll":true,"isRTL":false,"minItemSize":50,"rotatingGroupTypes":"","rotatingCubeRatio":"","gallerySliderImageRatio":1.7777777777777777,"numberOfImagesPerRow":3,"numberOfImagesPerCol":1,"groupsPerStrip":0,"borderRadius":0,"boxShadow":0,"gridStyle":1,"mobilePanorama":false,"placeGroupsLtr":false,"viewMode":"preview","thumbnailSpacings":0,"galleryThumbnailsAlignment":"bottom","isMasonry":false,"isAutoSlideshow":false,"slideshowLoop":false,"autoSlideshowInterval":4,"bottomInfoHeight":0,"titlePlacement":"SHOW_BELOW","galleryTextAlign":"left","scrollSnap":false,"itemClick":"expand","fullscreen":true,"videoPlay":"onClick","scrollAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","scrollDirection":0,"overlayAnimation":"EXPAND","arrowsPosition":0,"arrowsSize":23,"watermarkOpacity":40,"watermarkSize":40,"useWatermark":true,"watermarkDock":{"top":"auto","left":"auto","right":0,"bottom":0,"transform":"translate3d(0,0,0)"},"loadMoreAmount":"all","defaultShowInfoExpand":1,"allowLinkExpand":true,"expandInfoPosition":0,"allowFullscreenExpand":true,"fullscreenLoop":false,"galleryAlignExpand":"left","addToCartBorderWidth":1,"addToCartButtonText":"","slideshowInfoSize":200,"playButtonForAutoSlideShow":false,"allowSlideshowCounter":false,"hoveringBehaviour":"APPEARS","thumbnailSize":120,"magicLayoutSeed":1,"imageHoverAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imagePlacementAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","calculateTextBoxWidthMode":"PERCENT","textBoxHeight":106,"textBoxWidth":200,"textBoxWidthPercent":50,"textImageSpace":10,"textBoxBorderRadius":0,"textBoxBorderWidth":0,"loadMoreButtonText":"Load More","loadMoreButtonBorderWidth":1,"loadMoreButtonBorderRadius":0,"imageInfoType":"ATTACHED_BACKGROUND","itemBorderWidth":0,"itemBorderRadius":0,"itemEnableShadow":false,"itemShadowBlur":20,"itemShadowDirection":135,"itemShadowSize":10,"imageLoadingMode":"BLUR","expandAnimation":"NO_EFFECT","imageQuality":90,"usmToggle":false,"usm_a":0,"usm_r":0,"usm_t":0,"videoSound":false,"videoSpeed":1,"videoLoop":false,"gotStyleParams":true,"selectedLayout":"2|bottom|1|fit|true|0|true","allowSocial":false,"allowDownload":false,"allowTitle":true,"allowDescription":true,"loveButton":false,"loveCounter":true,"showVideoPlayButton":true,"galleryImageRatio":2,"sharpParams":{"quality":90,"usm":{},"allowUsm":false},"galleryHorizontalAlign":"flex-start","galleryVerticalAlign":"flex-start","imageLoadingWithColorMode":"PICKED_COLOR","imageRatioType":"FIXED","numberOfDisplayedItems":3,"itemBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_15","value":"rgba(0,0,0,1)"},"itemShadowOpacityAndColor":{"themeName":"color_15","value":"rgba(0,0,0,0.2)"},"textBoxBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_15","value":"rgba(0,0,0,1)"},"titleDescriptionSpace":5,"textsVerticalPadding":0,"textsHorizontalPadding":0,"textBoxFillColor":{"themeName":"color_12","value":"rgba(243,243,243,1)"},"alwaysShowHover":false,"isStoreGallery":false,"previewHover":false,"calculateTextBoxHeightMode":"MANUAL","galleryLayout":2,"useCustomButton":false,"customButtonText":"","itemOpacity":{"themeName":"color_11","value":"rgba(255,255,255,0)"},"itemFont":{"style":{"bold":true,"italic":false,"underline":false},"family":"din-next-w01-light","preset":"Custom","editorKey":"font_8","size":14,"fontStyleParam":true,"value":"font:normal normal bold 14px/17px din-next-w01-light,din-next-w02-light,din-next-w10-light,sans-serif;"},"itemFontSlideshow":{"family":"din-next-w01-light","style":{"bold":true,"italic":false,"underline":false},"size":10,"preset":"Custom","editorKey":"font_5","fontStyleParam":true,"value":"font:normal normal bold 10px/12px din-next-w01-light,din-next-w02-light,din-next-w10-light,sans-serif;"},"itemDescriptionFontSlideshow":{"family":"din-next-w01-light","style":{"bold":false,"italic":false,"underline":false},"size":9,"preset":"Custom","editorKey":"font_8","fontStyleParam":true,"value":"font:normal normal normal 9px/11px din-next-w01-light,din-next-w02-light,din-next-w10-light,sans-serif;"},"itemDescriptionFont":{"family":"din-next-w01-light","style":{"bold":false,"italic":false,"underline":false},"size":12,"preset":"Custom","editorKey":"font_8","fontStyleParam":true,"value":"font:normal normal normal 12px/15px din-next-w01-light,din-next-w02-light,din-next-w10-light,sans-serif;"},"itemFontColor":{"themeName":"color_15","value":"rgba(0,0,0,1)"},"itemFontColorSlideshow":{"themeName":"color_14","value":"rgba(113,112,112,1)"},"itemDescriptionFontColor":{"themeName":"color_14","value":"rgba(113,112,112,1)"},"itemDescriptionFontColorSlideshow":{"themeName":"color_14","value":"rgba(113,112,112,1)"},"loadMoreButtonFont":{"family":"din-next-w01-light","displayName":"Paragraph 2","style":{"bold":false,"italic":false,"underline":false},"size":15,"preset":"Body-M","editorKey":"font_8","fontStyleParam":true,"value":"font:normal normal normal 15px/1.4em din-next-w01-light,din-next-w02-light,din-next-w10-light,sans-serif;"},"loadMoreButtonFontColor":{"themeName":"color_15","value":"rgba(0,0,0,1)"},"loadMoreButtonColor":{"themeName":"color_11","value":"rgba(255,255,255,1)"},"loadMoreButtonBorderColor":{"themeName":"color_15","value":"rgba(0,0,0,1)"},"arrowsColor":{"themeName":"color_11","value":"rgba(255,255,255,1)"},"oneColorAnimationColor":{"themeName":"color_11","value":"rgba(255,255,255,1)"},"responsive":false,"targetItemSize":227,"isAccessible":false,"allowLeanGallery":false,"layoutsVersion":2,"selectedLayoutV2":2,"isSlideshowFont":true,"externalInfoHeight":106,"externalInfoWidth":0},"container":{"top":"","bottom":"","left":"","right":"","width":705,"height":2743,"position":"","avoidGallerySelfMeasure":true,"galleryWidth":714,"galleryHeight":2743,"scrollBase":0}}
The work you find on this site includes handmade objects and images, created with a sense of respect for the everyday world - a respect for all that is shared in common and all that is different or unique. Mike Sweeney sees importance in acknowledging that sameness and difference are inseparable parts of each person, thing, and relationship. Observing how sameness and difference are collaborating forces in the world influences how Mike selects his subjects and methods for working.
Cover & Interview, September, 2019