ART: Ricky Swallow Exhibition
Do yourself a favour, and put aside two hours of your weekend and ten dollars of your wage to see Ricky Swallow's latest exhibition, Ricky Swallow: Bricoleur.
The Australian-born Swallow indeed fits the description of a ‘bricoleur': he makes his living collecting, using and tinkering with objects he finds in the world around him. Yet he creates much more than your typical ‘found object' art. His work extends to a talented use of watercolours, bronze sculpture and wood carvings. Swallow expresses themes of death, life, the passing of time and love with subtle symbolism of memorials, birds, lemons and skeletons.
This exhibition is small but mighty. Each piece stands on its own with strength. It grabs your undivided attention and speaks to you in an unashamed voice about oblique images and themes.
It is a struggle to choose highlights within this incredible collection. Music lovers will certainly appreciate the ‘One Nation Underground' vibrant watercolours of 1960s rock and folk musicians, which includes a powerful depiction of Rolling Stones' Brian Jones. Make sure you take the time to appreciate the paintings entitled A sad but very discreet recollection of beloved things and beloved beings. These watercolours are of skeletons from the catacombs in Palermo. This may sound macabre, and they are to some degree, but these dark images are not frightening or ghoulish. Instead, they are honest and tender. The image of the skeleton reappears in several other of his works, including the fantastic sculpture Tusk which depicts two perfectly detailed skeletal arms with hands clasped in an ‘eternal union', creating the shape of a heart.
Swallow's precision, truth and dignity make each of the works in this collection something not to be missed. Unique, powerful, superb and inspirational, you'll be drawn back again and again.
Ricky Swallow: Bricoleur is now viewing at The Ian Potter Centre, NGV (Federation Square) until the 28th February 2010.
check this out at:
http://www.xandymagazine.com.au/x/articles/24/4/29/2009-11-07/ART:-Ricky-Swallow-Exhibition/
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