AAD Specialisation 4 Visual Diary: Ricky Swallow

I can see parallels between the work of Ricky Swallow and my own as there is an evident obsession with craft in his highly skilled wood carvings. There is also the similarity of subject matter, as Swallow deals with vanitas imagery, particularly in his repeated use of skulls. I really think Swallow's work is pursuing the idea of replicating motifs which symbolise death and mortality but in a corporeal form which will last for years. Therefore, there is the concept of making manifest the ephemeral, an idea I intend my diorama's to convey as the notions of the apocalypse and even utopias and dystopias only exist in the arts, so making a physical object of them creates a dialogue between concept and execution.

I like that whilst many other artists that I have looked at because of their consideration of vanitas imagery have been painters, Swallow is one of the first who has done so quite explicitly as a sculptor. I can therefore see the clear relevance of his work to mine in the making of the 3D, although I then intend to transport this into the 2D plane of the painting. I think what I most take away from studying his work is the effectiveness of minimalism, particularly in the sense that most of his work takes advantage of the natural colour and stain of the wood he has used. I believe this monochromaticism allows the details of Swallow's work to be properly appreciated, therefore I am encouraged to pursue using a limited palette in my own work.