Svetlana Zwetkof’s Follows Her Organic Curiosity
San Antonio-based linguist, sculptor, papermaker, gouache painter, and composer of ambient electronic folk music reflects on the value of curiosity and levity in one’s practice.
By Sarah Gill | 4/1/24
Svetlana Zwetkof is a linguist, sculptor, papermaker, gouache painter, and composer of ambient electronic folk music in San Antonio, Texas. Her work is inspired by variations on the physical form, elements of nature, and unorthodox organic materials.
As a multidisciplinary artist, Svet approaches each of her creative endeavors with the same earnest enthusiasm and curiosity. She follows what fascinates her while letting her instincts guide her. With an array of mediums to work with, her practice is holistic and synergistic. Svet pulls from her formal education as an artist and linguist, but her natural inclination towards obsession is the catalyst for her work. In our conversation, Svet expands on her creative process and how each discipline influences her artistic choices.
Although Svet began making art and taking music lessons at a young age, it wasn't until she became a Linguistics and Studio Art student at Mount Holyoke College that she thought to merge the two.
“I started sort of combining both things like making sound art and music,” Svet says.“That would recall what I knew from linguistics and then what I know about material abstraction, all kind of culminated together.”
Svet further explains the shift happened when she realized she wasn't confined to one method. She could look at composition through the lens of visual thinking strategies or formal analysis. Music theory could be used as scaffolding rather than the foundation of her work.
“I started thinking about music as you can do this like it's visual art, you can do it with an artist's practice, it doesn't have to be a musician’s.”
When asked about her creative process, Svet explains that materials are often her first thought because they inform her work in a very intentional and tangible way. When it comes to papermaking, for instance, she asks herself ‘What type or kind of paper it is, or do I collect the plant materials myself?’ Svet dives headfirst when it comes to researching potential materials and all their possible uses.
“I've been obsessive,” Svet says.“I made wax sculptures in college and I would just research different types of wax and clays that I could make molds with, to create the sculptures and figure out what is possible with the world and the chemistry of those objects.”
The element of texture is next when deciding what materials and methods to use. In her compositions, Svet looks to the “sonic potential with music, the texture of your voice, and the texture of synthesized instruments and using language to evoke texture.”
In her work as a visual artist, she frequently forages for her materials, hoping to expand the possibilities based on the functionality of her findings.
“I will collect my own things,” Svet says. “I've made things out of old clothes that I had that were beyond wearing, and I've made things out of bamboo leaves in my yard.”
Svet’s work as a multidisciplinary artist showcases the value of curiosity and levity in one’s practice. You can venture into new territory without fear, while still being grounded in an area of expertise.
To follow all of Svet’s ventures, be sure to follow her Instagram @svetstains, subscribe to her Substack, and listen to her music on Bandcamp.
PHOTO: Kyle Bowden @grainytexmex
About the Author:
Sarah J. Gill is a nonfiction writer and poet currently working in the fragrance industry. She is an avid baker and a proud member of a nonperforming choir. She is tall, beautiful, and easily overwhelmed. If you like her work, please kindly keep it to yourself as she can not bear the weight of perception. She lives in San Antonio, Texas with her cat, Guinevere.