To purchase prints, cards, and posters of John August Swanson's works, visit http://www.johnaugustswanson.com

Serigraph 21” by 29½”

Artist’s Notes: Daniel is sentenced to a terrifying death, yet he stands quietly in the midst of the wild lions. This ancient story still inspires us by its hopeful message. It connects us to the men and women who confront and oppose the powers in our world that keep people oppressed, the people who "speak truth to power". It is relived again and again. It is part of the collective unconscious of many cultures and peoples. I see the story still reaching people with its optimistic message where good wins and hope is kept alive.I have long been interested in the story of Daniel. An early influence was seeing the medieval "Play of Daniel". It was an exciting visual and musical drama, using a consort of medieval instruments and costumed singers. The story of Daniel has kept reoccurring in my art. I have tried over the years to capture this Biblical narrative in drawing, painting, and making prints.The idea of telling stories is a basic to me. I see this throughout our history: telling and retelling of stories goes to the roots of our ancestors, keeping hope alive despite immense trials. People remember their lives, they tell their stories and the stories they hear from others. People listen carefully to capture the details. Our lives are connected to many stories and they help connect us to other people’s struggles.

JOHN AUGUST SWANSON makes his home in Los Angeles, California, where he was born in 1938. He paints in oil, watercolor, acrylic and mixed media, and is an independent printmaker of limited edition serigraphs, lithographs and etchings.

His art reflects the strong heritage of storytelling he inherited from his Mexican mother and Swedish father. John Swanson’s narrative is direct and easily understood. He addresses himself to human values, cultural roots, and his quest for self-discovery through visual images. These include Bible stories and social celebrations such as attending the circus, the concert, and the opera. He also tells of everyday existence, of city and country walks, of visits to the library, the train station or the schoolroom. All his parables optimistically embrace life and one’s spiritual transformation.

John Swanson studied with Corita Kent at Immaculate Heart College. His unique style is influenced by the imagery of Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian iconography, the color of Latin American folk art, and the tradition of Mexican muralists.

His art is in no way "naïve." It is detailed, complex, and elaborate. Unlike many contemporary artists, John Swanson works directly on all phases in producing his original prints. His serigraphs (limited-edition screen prints) have from 40 to 89 colors printed, using transparent and opaque inks creating rich and detailed imagery. For each color printed the artist must draw a stencil on Mylar film. This stencil is transferred to the silk screen for printing the color ink on the serigraph edition. The resulting serigraph is a matrix of richly overlaid colors visually striking and technically masterful.

Mr. Swanson’s art is represented in the permanent collections of many museums, including three museums of the Smithsonian Institution: The National Museum of American History, The National Museum of American Art and The National Air and Space Museum. He is also included in the print collections of the Art Institute of Chicago, Harvard University’s Fogg Museum, the Tate Gallery and Victoria and Albert Museum in London, and the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris. His painting THE PROCESSION is one of relatively few works by contemporary artists to be selected for the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Religious Art. In 2008, an extensive collection of John August Swanson’s works were purchased by Emory University’s Candler School of Theology to hang on the walls of their new 76,349 square foot building. He was awarded The Dean’s Medal for his art’s transformative effect on the campus. With over 55 works hung, this is the largest open public display of the artwork of John August Swanson. [from the artist's website]