RICKY SWALLOW – SAND IN MY JOINTS
2022-04-25Ricky Swallow’s sculptures begin with ordinary, domestic materials that are then cast in bronze to create carefully honed final objects. For over two decades, Swallow has explored the process of conversion that takes place when an object or combination of materials becomes a sculpture. His initial objects are always made by hand; their tactile imperfections enduring into the casting process. Once cast at the foundry, Swallow’s bronzes continue to be worked on in the studio, his participation a critical part of maintaining connection and control over the final form of the work. Latent references to painting, and specifically the Dutch still life tradition, resonate both in the figurative dimensions of his work as well as in its conceptual underpinnings. But these references are never uncomplicated, the trompe-l’œil effect for instance, present in Swallow’s work since its beginning, has always been a means to an end, an attention trap, or a way to slow down perception and experience – rather than an end in itself. What becomes important is the tactility and physical presence of the sculptural components, a registered and experienced behaviour of the elements comprising each piece.
Opposite – Skewed Relief #1, 2022
Exhibition runs through to May 14th, 2022
Modern Art
7 Bury Street
SW1Y 6AL
London
