Ian L.C. Swordy

Entrance is thrilled to present Direct Carving NYC, an exhibition showcasing recent marble sculpture by Ian L.C. Swordy. This event marks the groundbreaking of Entrance’s newest endeavor, a 10,000 square foot outdoor sculpture garden currently being built in the heart of Red Hook, Brooklyn. Entrance / Red Hook will be a permanent space hosting seasonal large scale sculpture exhibitions, performance and community events. For this summer, one fifth of the garden will be used to present Swordy’s sculptures.

Working primarily in marble, Swordy’s practice engages both with the philosophical and physical nature of hand carving, considering the act of carving as adjacent to live performance while also confronting the limits and potential of the material itself. He utilizes found, urban detritus alongside stone, juxtaposing the evident hand with a fascination for a flawless, polished finish. Three monumental sculptures by Swordy will be on view, along with a grouping of work on pedestals.

Ian L.C. Swordy (American, b. 1982) earned a BFA from Hunter College in 2007 and MFA from Yale University in 2009. His most recent solo exhibition, Hammer Time, was presented at Moskowitz Bayse in Los Angeles (2020). Recent group and two-person exhibitions include Local Objects at International Objects in Brooklyn, NY (2023), Totum, organized by Kyle DeWoody (2021), The Moonlight Works, at Moskowitz Bayse (2019), and Heartist, at The Hand, Brooklyn (2019). Swordy’s first two books, The Bull Loving Truth and Will and Grace were published in 2016 and 2020 respectively. He lives and works in Brooklyn, NY. Swordy’s upcoming 2024 exhibition, Direct Carving NYC, is the inaugural exhibition at Entrance / Red Hook.