ArtistsNetwork.com 51“Creative expression can be very rewarding in
spite of how challenging art-making can be,”
says Anselmo Swan. Using an analogy to mountain climbing, he explains, “I’m
sure there are easier ways to get to the top. People go through a lot to reach
their hiking goals. I think there’s something in that effort, in that journey,
that’s rewarding and personally fulfilling. Similarly, there’s something about
that challenge and struggle in a work of art. I believe the process of art-making
is just as important as the finished painting.”
Generally speaking, the staple of Swan’s still life work has been a response to
the consumerism in today’s culture. “I want to contrast our fast-paced, throw-
away lifestyle and the instant gratification of sweets with art done specifically
for the purpose of quiet contemplation. I portray objects that I myself find
interesting to contemplate, and I endeavor to accomplish what some artists
have done and continue to do—make the ordinary extraordinary.”OPPOSITE
Coff ee Cup No. 1
oil on wood panel,
15x17
BELOW
Coff ee
graphite and white
Conté on toned
paper, 15x22