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News & Events
John August Swanson to Appear on
West Hollywood Public Access,
WHPA-Time Warner Cable Channel 36
A 30-minute interview with John August Swanson will be aired on
the West Hollywood Public Access Channel, WHPA - Channel 36.
This interview can be seen on:
Tues., February 12, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
and
Wed., February 13, 2010 at 6:00 p.m.
For more information on receiving this station, please visit WHPA's website at:
http://www.weho.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/nav/navid/50/
MADONNA
2010
Even before the GOOSE WITH THE GOLDEN EGG was completed,
John August Swanson began developing the ideas for his next serigraph–
THE MADONNA.
After pouring over his various drawings and sketches from the last twenty years,
a new serigraph is taking shape.
Click Here to find out more.
Limited Edition Clown Serigraphs
For a very limited run of only 120-150 editions each, John August Swanson will revisit ten of his early
clown watercolor and acrylic paintings, created in the 1980s, and reinvent them as hand printed silkscreen serigraphs.
The first two were completed in 2008, please continue to visit the website for updates!
The first in the series, STAR CLOWN, is available!
The second, PAPAGENO, is also available!
The third, GOOSE WITH THE GOLDEN EGG, is NOW AVAILABLE!
The other works in the suite (shown above, from left to right) will be:
CRIMSON CLOWN, GOOSE WITH GOLDEN EGG, CLOWN MAKING UP, BOY JOINS CIRCUS, AMAZING DOG TRIO,
MAGIC RABBITS, ORIENTAL PRINCE, and WE'RE ON NEXT.
“As I review and enjoy these clown characters, I am moved by feelings of their uniqueness, their ability to touch our lives and their double-sided nature. They are hilarious, mischievous, joyful and full of surprises – turning around the expected order of things. They also appear as messengers who bring us hope, grace, healing and meaning. They connect us to the numinous and to our child-like delight.” -John August Swanson, 2008
POWER TO THE PEOPLE
Poster:
Available individually through the National Association for Hispanic Elderly's Website for $25
For bulk orders please call Mr. Swanson at (323) 665-3677, or email.
Description:
Description: This work contains three main panels:
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In the first panel -
At the left side of my serigraph, there is an employment agency with a long line of people waiting to sign on a waiting list. Our “Unemployed Man” is seen at the moment he writes down his name. He continues into the next panel, where he walks down the street, feeling alone and powerless, as he passes factories and office buildings with “No Jobs” signs posted.
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In the second panel -
He is standing outside an overcrowded hotel where he has just picked up a newspaper which announces a march, a gathering of many people, of many communities coming together to address their common problems.
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In the third panel -
He is the foreground figure in a huge gathering of people who have come together to call for quality universal healthcare, better schools, affordable housing, living wages, equal pay and job training. Many of their signs promote strength in unity, community organizing, and peace. This large group of people is positioned so that they march toward the viewer as if they are moving forward out of the picture.
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Across the top -
The line of smaller scenes picture people engaged in the rebuilding and renewing of their community. We see the renovation and construction of housing; the development of common, community spaces in parks; the writing of letters and expressing of ideas; and the sharing of resources in soup lines for the hungry, homeless, and unemployed.
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Across the bottom -
There are three scenes picturing people organizing for their empowerment. The first is a group involved in collective bargaining. The next is another group of people discussing the possibilities for working together. The final scene is a leadership training class in which they seek to learn how to combine their energies to solve common problems.
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It is my hope that this art work might serve as an inspiration and a tool for those working to organize those who have been displaced & marginalized by economic injustice into compassionate communities empowered to implement justice and bring peace.
Giclee Print on Canvas, Size: 14.5" x 35.75"
(Price: $300 unframed) View Larger Image
EMORY UNIVERSITY
CANDLER SCHOOL OF THEOLOGY
Emory University’s Candler School of Theology currently holds the largest publicly displayed collection of John August Swanson artwork.
Please follow the following link to view an informative video on their extensive collection of paintings and original prints.
http://realaudio.service.emory.edu/ramgen/NEWS/Candler.Swanson.promo.rm
Also featured on their website is a slideshow outlining their March 26, 2009 worship service, which features Mr. Swanson in attendance.
This service was done in celebration of their newly displayed collection.
http://www.candler.emory.edu/RESOURCES/WORSHIP/slideshows/03_26_09/index.html
Patheos Phone Interview
On July 9, 2009 Timothy J. Mooney, a Presbyterian Pastor and Fine Artist, conducted a short over the phone interview
with John August Swanson for Patheos.com. This interview may be viewed at the following link:
http://www.patheos.com/Resources/Additional-Resources/Sacred-Artists-Speak.html
JOHN AUGUST SWANSON
FEATURED IN THE MAY 15, 2009
NATIONAL CATHOLIC REPORTER
Dana Greene, Dean Emerita for the Oxford College at Emory University in Atlanta, interviewed Mr. Swanson during his visit
to the Candler School of Theology. Her article describes how Swanson’s artworks cross-cultural, universal appeal,
and help to promote social justice and peace to a wide array of individuals.
Please view the article at the following website:
http://ncronline.org/news/people/he-gives-everything-he-has-his-art
THE LAST SUPPER
$800 in 2010
The introductory price of $700 for John August Swanson’s THE LAST SUPPER has been extended through the holidays.
Until December 31, 2009, a deposit of only $100 (if paying over time) can still reserve this serigraph at the $700 introductory price.
In early May this serigraph was completed, signed, numbered and made available at an introductory price of $700.
“I am very excited to share this work,” John says, “I want THE LAST SUPPER to be accessible.
I have continued to offer the work at this lower price for as long as possible.”
This is the last opportunity for the friends and collectors of the work of John August Swanson to enjoy this artwork at the introductory price.
After January 1, 2010, the price of THE LAST SUPPER will be $800.
Click Here to find out more about THE LAST SUPPER.
JOHN AUGUST SWANSON IS MOVING
After thirty years, John August Swanson is moving to a new location!
By January 1, 2010, please update your records and direct all correspondence, including orders of artwork, to:
John August Swanson
8417 Holy Cross Place
Los Angeles, CA 90045
At this new location, many framed serigraphs, etchings, lithographs, and paintings will be displayed
- unique works from a career of artmaking that spans over four decades.
Visits will be by appointment only.
Please note that the previous address: 2903 Waverly Drive Los Angeles, CA 90039,
is currently still valid and may still be used as well, but only until January, 2010.
JOHN AUGUST SWANSON:
Bringing Our Faith Stories to Life Through Art
Saturday, April 24, 2010
John August Swanson will appear in person at:
The Center For Spiritual Development
434 S. Batavia Street, Orange, CA 92868-3907
to talk on his artwork.
He will present this two session event along with David Hoover, MTS
and Sharon Halsey- Hoover, MA.
Session 1: 1:30–4:30 p.m. Living Inside a Sacred Universe
Session 2: 5:00–7:30 p.m. Opening the Windows to Paradise
Single Session $30; Both Sessions $55
John August Swanson to Appear on
West Hollywood Public Access,
WHPA-Time Warner Cable Channel 36
A 30-minute interview with John August Swanson will be aired on
the West Hollywood Public Access Channel, WHPA - Channel 36.
This interview can be seen on:
Tues., January 19, 2010 at 10:00 p.m.
and
Wed., January 20, 2010 at 6:30 p.m.
For more information on receiving this station, please visit WHPA's website at:
http://www.weho.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/nav/navid/50/
John August Swanson to Appear on
West Hollywood Public Access,
WHPA-Time Warner Cable Channel 36
A 30-minute interview with John August Swanson will be aired on
the West Hollywood Public Access Channel, WHPA - Channel 36.
This interview can be seen on:
Thurs., December 22, 2009 at 10:00 p.m.
and
Wed., December 23, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.
For more information on receiving this station, please visit WHPA's website at:
http://www.weho.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/nav/navid/50/
A Thrill of Hope:
The Christmas Story in Word and Art
The Candler School of Theology at Emory University has just completed:
This 50-minue program discusses the story of Christmas as told in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew,
and as visualized in six John August Swanson serigraphs.
The production showcases:
A VISIT, NATIVITY, SHEPHERDS, EPIPHANY, PRESENTATION IN THE TEMPLE, and FLIGHT INTO EGYPT
It features in-depth conversations with:
John August Swanson,
as well as interviews with Candler School of Theology scholars:
Dr. Michael Joseph Brown, Dr. Luke Timothy Johnson, Dr. Steven J. Kraftchick,
Dr. Thomas G. Long, Dr. Carol A. Newsome, and Dr. Gail R. O'Day.
A Thrill of Hope: The Christmas Story in Word and Art
is available through the Candler School of Theology's main website for $30, and is packaged with five viewer discussion guides.
For more information please visit: http://www.candler.emory.edu/
John August Swanson In Person
at Bazaar Del Mundo
December 11th through 12th, 2009
From December 11th through December 12th, Mr. Swanson will visit
the Bazaar Del Mundo, 4133 Taylor Street, San Diego, CA 92110,
to exhibit his newest serigraph:
This two day event will start on Friday, December 11th, from 10:00am until 8:00pm;
and continue through Saturday, December 12th, from 10:00am until 6:00pm.
Please call the Bazaar Del Mundo at (619) 296-3161 for more information.
John August Swanson to Appear on
West Hollywood Public Access,
WHPA-Time Warner Cable Channel 36
A 30-minute interview with John August Swanson will be aired on
the West Hollywood Public Access Channel, WHPA - Channel 36.
This interview can be seen on:
Thurs., November 5, 2009 at 5:30 a.m.
Tues., November 10, 2009 at 10:00 p.m.
and
Wed., November 11, 2009 at 6:00 a.m.
For more information on receiving this station, please visit WHPA's website at:
http://www.weho.org/index.cfm/fuseaction/nav/navid/50/
VISIONS, JOURNEYS, STORIES:
THE ART OF JOHN AUGUST SWANSON
Artwork Exhibition at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church, NY
October 18 - November 29, 2009
Sixteen John August Swanson works will be exhibited at Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church,
7 West 55th Street, New York, NY 10019 from October 18th through November 29th.
Mr. Swanson will be in attendance to give a talk from 12:30pm - 2:00pm on opening day, October 18th.
For more information, please contact Carole White at:
CWhite@fapc.org
THE LAST SUPPER
May 2009
a Forty-One Color Limited Edition Serigraph of 200
is NOW AVAILABLE!
My vision of THE LAST SUPPER :
I am inspired by a person’s ability to share food with others, and the community that grows from this sharing. I began drawing scenes of a group around a circular table. Over the years, I kept drawing and developing other sketches of the Last Supper, but I kept returning to this initial image. At a round table, there is no hierarchy of seating. No one can be seated at the “head of the table”. No one is excluded from the conversation. The circular table draws us all into the scene, giving the viewer a feeling of being included in the meal. We are all participating in this supper.
Over the centuries, the story of the Last Supper has been approached by great artists in various ways. Because of the mastery of how this scene has been handled by other artists, I didn’t feel that I was ready to convey this great scene with all of its complexities for many years. The emphasis in many of these works is often on the drama at the table, the tension amongst the apostles as news of the betrayal is revealed. At this stage in my life, I am now ready to bring my interpretation to the telling of this tale. The theme of my serigraph is community, and what it means to share a meal together.
I have chosen to use a narrative border of seventy-eight miniature scenes to emphasize the labor of the workers, those who help grow and prepare the food. Even a simple meal of bread and wine requires the labor of planters, growers, pickers, bakers, winemakers, and so many others. Also depicted within the narrative panels are images of caring, sharing and compassion (from Matthew 25:35-46).
It is important for me to explore where our food comes from, to depict the communal nature between those at the table and those that make the meal possible. As in many of my other works, the sacred is expressed in the ordinary acts we do, in the care that we put into each of the daily activities that sustain us, our loved ones and our community.
Serigraph is available for $700.00
THE LAST SUPPER image measures 23" by 30", and is printed on a 30" by 37" rag paper (Coventry Rag Vellum White 290 GMS).
Please call the studio for further information: (323) 665-3677
Los Angeles Religious Education Conference,
Anaheim Convention Center - February 27 to March 1, 2009;
John August Swanson will be making a personal appearance in the Exhibitors Hall at the Anaheim Convention Center
800 W Katella Ave. Anaheim CA 92802.
He will have framed editions of most of his work, including his latest completed serigraph, PAPAGENO, and his work in progress, LAST SUPPER available for viewing.
Please come by booths 325, 422, and 424.
For more information visit http://www.recongress.org
John August Swanson In Person
at Bazaar Del Mundo
December 4th through 6th, 2008
From December 4th through December 6th, Mr. Swanson will visit
the Bazaar Del Mundo, 4133 Taylor Street SanDiego, CA 92110,
to introduce his newly completed serigraph, "PAPAGENO",
the second in his continuing series of ten clown serigraphs.
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This interview can be seen on:
Tues., February 12, 2010 at 6:00 |
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About the Artist
News & Events
