John August Swanson
Encyclopedia
John August Swanson is an American
visual artist
working primarily in the medium of serigraphy, as well as oil
, watercolor, acrylic
, mixed media
, lithography
, and etching
. He is based in Los Angeles
, California
, the city of his birth.
Swanson studied with Corita Kent
at Immaculate Heart College
. He is the recipient of a Doctor of Humane Letters
degree honoris causa from California Lutheran University
. He has collaborated on a number of books.
The son of a Mexican
mother and a Swedish
father, Swanson's art reflects the strong narrative
influences of his cultural upbringing. His works frequently depict scenes of community life, as in "Festival of Lights" (2000), "Tales of Hoffman" (2001), and "Psalm 85" (2003). Swanson's images are optimistic and colorful, with a strongly humanistic
feel.
Swanson is perhaps best known for his biblical imagery. Combining the flat, stylized look of iconography
with the bright palette and strong narrative sense of his background in Latin America
n folk art
, pieces such as "Daniel" (2000), "Good Samaritan" (2002), and "Washing of the Feet" have proven popular among collectors of religious artwork around the world.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
visual artist
Visual arts
The visual arts are art forms that create works which are primarily visual in nature, such as ceramics, drawing, painting, sculpture, printmaking, design, crafts, and often modern visual arts and architecture...
working primarily in the medium of serigraphy, as well as oil
Oil painting
Oil painting is the process of painting with pigments that are bound with a medium of drying oil—especially in early modern Europe, linseed oil. Often an oil such as linseed was boiled with a resin such as pine resin or even frankincense; these were called 'varnishes' and were prized for their body...
, watercolor, acrylic
Acrylic paint
Acrylic paint is fast drying paint containing pigment suspension in acrylic polymer emulsion. Acrylic paints can be diluted with water, but become water-resistant when dry...
, mixed media
Mixed media
Mixed media, in visual art, refers to an artwork in the making of which more than one medium has been employed.There is an important distinction between "mixed-media" artworks and "multimedia art". Mixed media tends to refer to a work of visual art that combines various traditionally distinct...
, lithography
Lithography
Lithography is a method for printing using a stone or a metal plate with a completely smooth surface...
, and etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
. He is based in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, the city of his birth.
Swanson studied with Corita Kent
Corita Kent
Corita Kent , aka Sister Mary Corita Kent, was born Frances Elizabeth Kent in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Kent was an artist and an educator who worked in Los Angeles and Boston. She worked almost exclusively with silkscreen and serigraphy, helping to establish it as a fine art medium...
at Immaculate Heart College
Immaculate Heart College
Immaculate Heart College was a private, Catholic college located in Los Angeles, California.The college was established in 1916 by the Sisters of the Immaculate Heart of Mary ten years after they had founded Immaculate Heart High School on the property....
. He is the recipient of a Doctor of Humane Letters
Doctorate
A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder to teach in a specific field, A doctorate is an academic degree or professional degree that in most countries refers to a class of degrees which qualify the holder...
degree honoris causa from California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University
California Lutheran University is a university of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America located in Thousand Oaks, California.-Mission statement:The University's mission statement is as follows:...
. He has collaborated on a number of books.
Artwork
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
mother and a Swedish
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
father, Swanson's art reflects the strong narrative
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
influences of his cultural upbringing. His works frequently depict scenes of community life, as in "Festival of Lights" (2000), "Tales of Hoffman" (2001), and "Psalm 85" (2003). Swanson's images are optimistic and colorful, with a strongly humanistic
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
feel.
Swanson is perhaps best known for his biblical imagery. Combining the flat, stylized look of iconography
Iconography
Iconography is the branch of art history which studies the identification, description, and the interpretation of the content of images. The word iconography literally means "image writing", and comes from the Greek "image" and "to write". A secondary meaning is the painting of icons in the...
with the bright palette and strong narrative sense of his background in Latin America
Latin America
Latin America is a region of the Americas where Romance languages – particularly Spanish and Portuguese, and variably French – are primarily spoken. Latin America has an area of approximately 21,069,500 km² , almost 3.9% of the Earth's surface or 14.1% of its land surface area...
n folk art
Folk art
Folk art encompasses art produced from an indigenous culture or by peasants or other laboring tradespeople. In contrast to fine art, folk art is primarily utilitarian and decorative rather than purely aesthetic....
, pieces such as "Daniel" (2000), "Good Samaritan" (2002), and "Washing of the Feet" have proven popular among collectors of religious artwork around the world.
External links
- The Art of John August Swanson
- "Artist John August Swanson and His Images of Francis of Assisi" in St. Anthony Messenger
- "Festival of Lights" was the cover image of the Summer 2009 issue of Emory Magazine, illustrating the theme: “Pilgrimage: Journeys of the Body, Mind, and Spirit.”
- "John Swanson at Candler School of Theology"
- "Renowned artist John August Swanson to speak at Candler" Emory University News