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

Serigraph 23” by 35½”

Artist’s Notes: The parable of the Prodigal Son has inspired many artists, musicians, writers, and poets. The story has many levels for interpretation and insight into the human experience, especially family life and forgiveness. Rembrandt chose to use this image for his last completed painting “Return of the Prodigal Son”, 1669( based on the drawing he used for his etching “Return of the Prodigal Son” , 1636). The author Robert Wallace, in his book “The World of Rembrandt”, observes: “In the artist’s view the scripture was the beginning chapter of a narrative of Man’s situation, a dramatic and continuing narrative in which Rembrandt saw himself and his contemporaries as vital participants.” I find it fascinating that Rembrandt returned to his drawing from 33 year earlier to paint his last powerful work. This story has inspired me also, since 1968 when I began to make images.

In 18th and 19th century Sweden, especially in the small rural villages, narrative painting was popular. Stories were painted on banners, or directly on the walls or cornices of rooms. Often Biblical scenes were depicted, with the figures imitative of the German woodblock prints found in Bibles of the period. The Prodigal Son was a popular theme that resonated with many Swedes at this time, as mass emigration to North America was occurring. Tradition dictated that farms would be divided among sons, often making them economically unviable. The solution would be for one son to emigrate and, unlike the Prodigal, many would never return to their families. My own father was a Swedish immigrant.

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]