artistic intent

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Many of Mike Sweeney's handwoven paper works incorporate fragmentary bits of previously published sources woven together in a field of visual noise. This literal interweaving and disrupting of other print material instills a hybrid vocabulary and complicates any one reading of an image. These monoprints can be hard to decipher despite the simple line images he prints over the woven pattern with traditional intaglio presses.

Mike believes that the act of looking, like the act of making, should be a thoughtful, reflective, and active. His images require time, and a mindfulness about the influence of context - of past ideas, present perceptions, and projections about possible futures.