Carry On, Rob Swainston

Cara Shapkauski
Formal Analysis
12 September 2016
Jason Judd

Carry On
Rob Swainston
Woodblock print on paper

Viewed at University Galleries, Normal, IL on September 6th, 2016.

Rob Swainston's piece Carry On was created in 2015, made from a woodblock print on paper. The piece is long, stretching vertically 198x51.5 inches, allowing the eyes to travel up and down the piece in a fluid motion. The piece, part of the series We thought they thought what we thought, but they didn't, was on view at University Galleries in Normal, Illinois until September 9th.

There are many qualities the piece has that allows the viewer to feel engulfed in the work. One of these factors is the size of the work. Carry On is a gigantic piece, standing double or triple the size of most viewers. This factor brings a sense of scale to the viewer, and creates a sense of presence, standing in the rubble and wreckage illustrated on the paper. The stairs traveling down the piece, and figures seen walking down the piece moving towards a ground zero, give the impression some disastrous event has happened to the city. The title, Carry On, suggests the figures are looking to move on, past the rubble the viewer sees them in currently.

It is interesting to note that Carry On is a combination of the triptych But They Didn't, now stacked and stripped of color. By making the piece monochromatic, it allows the viewer to focus more on the details that unite these pieces, instead of separating them as previously displayed.

Barry Blinderman describes Swainston's work as "evocative of some of the finest moments in art history: Han Dynasty printing on silk, early Renaissance military scenes, Hokusai's waves, Clifford Still's dark-hued paintings..." which perfectly illustrates the dedication and familiarity Swainston creates through his work, presented in a new, refreshing medium. His work is successful in firmly grabbing the attention of the viewer and urging them to stay a little longer.