Revisiting Ricky Swallow

I spent this afternoon revisiting Ricky Swallow's The Bricoleur at NGV Australia. Everytime I go back, some pieces just get more and more beautiful. Each time different pieces speak more to me than others. I suppose a large part of that is because his body of work is very personal, but universally relatable.
Like many others, I also enjoy the special little nook where books and the exhibition catalogue have been laid out, and you can read whilst listening to a selection of music that Ricky Swallow personally picked out. The musicians are ones featured in his watercolour, One Nation Underground (2007). The watercolours are quite special (one of my top picks is definitely Tim Buckley) ... an definitely made me want to pick up the brushes and start working with some watercolour.

Today, particular attention was given to:
Killing Time (2003-2004)
endless amazing details to discover, endless fascination ...

Caravan (2008)

Flying on the ground is wrong (2006)
incredibly delicate

The man from Enchinitas (2009)
oh the story behind this is miraculous, the translation from narrative to artwork through process and medium, is absolutely beautiful

All Images from Swallow's website.

2 comments:

  1. Amelia said...

    I don't know which I feel more strongly, jealousy cause you got to go back again -- and I don't htink I will make it back again before it closes -- or happiness that everything spoke to you so strongly. YAY for artists like Ricky Swallow :)  

  2. zi xin wong said...

    Yay indeed!

    He ponders life, the human condition, the passing and preserving of time - some themes also examined by Mueck, but Ricky Swallow does it in such a personal and humble way. Both extraordinarily talented artists, but I think it's the humble, softly-spoken way Swallow interprets these themes that I find most attractive.  


 

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