David Schwittek by (Bedford Corner, NY)

four David Schwittek (Bedford Corner, NY) Fabric, Direct to Fabric Ink, Dye, Paint, 31” H x 64” W x 0” D Artwork: This large (31"" x 64"") textile work features mutated, fragmented tactical figures dissolving into surreal green plumes, their forms distorted and unstable. The piece responds to ICE’s deployment of green irritants in Minneapolis, using AI hallucinations and visual error to evoke the confused, disjointed, and seemingly uncoordinated actions of agents in the field. Artist Statement: My work consists of wall-based fabric pieces that expose systemic failures embedded in contemporary systems of control, enforcement, and information. Using textiles associated with domestic life and mass production, the work places images of armed police, military, and security forces within materials tied to comfort and familiarity, reflecting how coercive power is normalized in everyday environments. I use Direct-to-Film (DTF) printing to transfer digitally assembled imagery onto fabric, retaining the visual language of branding, spectacle, and repetition that mirrors how authority is manufactured and maintained. AI image generation plays a central role in the work. I intentionally engage its hallucinations and errors to reflect the distortions, omissions, and narrative breakdowns produced by mainstream media and state messaging. Through fabric, digital reproduction, and AI-generated failure, the work asks viewers to confront how systems meant to protect instead perpetuate harm.