Ian Swanson

Gallery Affiliations: Re:View Gallery

Region: MFA Annual

The socioeconomic conditions of American late capitalism and the omnipresence of the Internet have permanently altered contemporary global culture. I make artworks that examine, exalt, insult, and reinterpret the dominant market hierarchies and artistic mythologies of this culture. I respond to these conditions by operating within them, using them as a support rather than a hindrance.

My current paintings combine gestures and strategies pulled from realms such as the history of art, digital collage, advertising, and lifestyle branding. They operate as a network or image dump, where recognizable images compete for dominance within the visual field. The pictorial relationships within this network suggest a variety of associative possibilities, whether mysterious, humorous, critical, or whatever. It’s all generative.