- John August Swanson
John August Swanson (born
1938 ) is an American visual artist working primarily in the medium ofserigraph y, as well as oil, watercolor, acrylic,mixed media ,lithography , andetching . He is based inLos Angeles ,California , the city of his birth.Swanson studied with
Corita Kent atImmaculate Heart College . He is the recipient of a Doctor of Humane Letters degree honoris causa fromCalifornia Lutheran University . He has collaborated on a number of books.Artwork
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 [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.2 "Festival of Lights"] (2000 ), [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.8 "Tales of Hoffman"] (2001 ), and [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.14"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 oficonography with the bright palette and strong narrative sense of his background inLatin America nfolk art , pieces such as [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.1 "Daniel"] (2000 ), [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.13"Good Samaritan"] (2002 ), and [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com/default.cfm?PID=1.2.11"Washing of the Feet"] have proven popular among collectors of religious artwork around the world.References
Swanson's work is represented in the permanent collections of many museums, including three museums of the
Smithsonian Institution : TheNational Museum of American History , TheSmithsonian American Art Museum and TheNational Air and Space Museum . He is also included in the print collections of theArt Institute of Chicago , Harvard University's Fogg Museum, theTate Gallery andVictoria and Albert Museum in London, and theBibliothèque Nationale in Paris. His painting "The Procession" is one of relatively few works by contemporary artists to be selected for theVatican Museums ’ Collection of Modern Religious Art.External links
* [http://www.johnaugustswanson.com The Art of John August Swanson]
* [http://www.americancatholic.org/Messenger/Oct2002/Feature1.asp "Artist John August Swanson and His Images of Francis of Assisi"] in "St. Anthony Messenger"
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