'My Arms Are Long' by Dave Swensen
'My Arms Are Long'
15.3 x 19.7 cm
Oil, Coloured Pencil and Watercolour on Paper
2024
£250
Bespoke framing available for Greater London collectors only | Lead time is 8 weeks from confirmation
Dave Swensen (b. 1984) is an American painter whose work blends figurative representation with emotional expression. Using wood, paper, and canvas, he conveys texture, depth, and movement through dynamic marks that explore themes of love, magic, dreams, and evil. His vibrant color palette, created with acrylics, oils, waxes, and pigments, evokes fantastical and psychological, transforming figurative elements into symbolic narratives. Each painting captures a frozen moment, inviting personal interpretation and emotional engagement. Swensen’s distinctive approach to drawing and mark-making articulates the complexities of the human experience. He has exhibited widely in the U.S., U.K., Italy, and New Zealand and works in Des Moines, Iowa.
All Together Now by Dave Swensen features ten recent works on paper, each grounded in drawing yet enriched by the use of repurposed materials from discarded publications. Swensen retains and builds upon the history embedded in these materials—ranging from various paper stocks and book covers to cardboard and, occasionally, glued-together pages—each element contributing to the layered complexity of the compositions. These materials add texture and serve as a visual narrative, deepening the connection between the works and their histories. Using various tools, including pencil, graphite, paints, and wax, Swensen creates portraits focusing on the human gaze. The way we look at a subject, and how a subject looks back at us remains one of the most intriguing ways to understand an artwork’s narrative. The eyes in these drawings act as a window into the complexities of human existence, explored through the visceral process of session-based drawing. The works subtly evoke both sincerity and innocence, capturing the delicate balance between purity and the more complicated aspects of life. Swensen brings together invented characters and personas that reflect all of us, embodying the multiplicity of human experience. These figures act as mirrors, encouraging reflection on our shared struggles, desires, and vulnerabilities. Through this body of work, Swensen invites us to confront the universality of the human condition, offering a space for empathy, connection, and self-reflection.
'My Arms Are Long'
15.3 x 19.7 cm
Oil, Coloured Pencil and Watercolour on Paper
2024
£250
Bespoke framing available for Greater London collectors only | Lead time is 8 weeks from confirmation
Dave Swensen (b. 1984) is an American painter whose work blends figurative representation with emotional expression. Using wood, paper, and canvas, he conveys texture, depth, and movement through dynamic marks that explore themes of love, magic, dreams, and evil. His vibrant color palette, created with acrylics, oils, waxes, and pigments, evokes fantastical and psychological, transforming figurative elements into symbolic narratives. Each painting captures a frozen moment, inviting personal interpretation and emotional engagement. Swensen’s distinctive approach to drawing and mark-making articulates the complexities of the human experience. He has exhibited widely in the U.S., U.K., Italy, and New Zealand and works in Des Moines, Iowa.
All Together Now by Dave Swensen features ten recent works on paper, each grounded in drawing yet enriched by the use of repurposed materials from discarded publications. Swensen retains and builds upon the history embedded in these materials—ranging from various paper stocks and book covers to cardboard and, occasionally, glued-together pages—each element contributing to the layered complexity of the compositions. These materials add texture and serve as a visual narrative, deepening the connection between the works and their histories. Using various tools, including pencil, graphite, paints, and wax, Swensen creates portraits focusing on the human gaze. The way we look at a subject, and how a subject looks back at us remains one of the most intriguing ways to understand an artwork’s narrative. The eyes in these drawings act as a window into the complexities of human existence, explored through the visceral process of session-based drawing. The works subtly evoke both sincerity and innocence, capturing the delicate balance between purity and the more complicated aspects of life. Swensen brings together invented characters and personas that reflect all of us, embodying the multiplicity of human experience. These figures act as mirrors, encouraging reflection on our shared struggles, desires, and vulnerabilities. Through this body of work, Swensen invites us to confront the universality of the human condition, offering a space for empathy, connection, and self-reflection.
'My Arms Are Long'
15.3 x 19.7 cm
Oil, Coloured Pencil and Watercolour on Paper
2024
£250
Bespoke framing available for Greater London collectors only | Lead time is 8 weeks from confirmation
Dave Swensen (b. 1984) is an American painter whose work blends figurative representation with emotional expression. Using wood, paper, and canvas, he conveys texture, depth, and movement through dynamic marks that explore themes of love, magic, dreams, and evil. His vibrant color palette, created with acrylics, oils, waxes, and pigments, evokes fantastical and psychological, transforming figurative elements into symbolic narratives. Each painting captures a frozen moment, inviting personal interpretation and emotional engagement. Swensen’s distinctive approach to drawing and mark-making articulates the complexities of the human experience. He has exhibited widely in the U.S., U.K., Italy, and New Zealand and works in Des Moines, Iowa.
All Together Now by Dave Swensen features ten recent works on paper, each grounded in drawing yet enriched by the use of repurposed materials from discarded publications. Swensen retains and builds upon the history embedded in these materials—ranging from various paper stocks and book covers to cardboard and, occasionally, glued-together pages—each element contributing to the layered complexity of the compositions. These materials add texture and serve as a visual narrative, deepening the connection between the works and their histories. Using various tools, including pencil, graphite, paints, and wax, Swensen creates portraits focusing on the human gaze. The way we look at a subject, and how a subject looks back at us remains one of the most intriguing ways to understand an artwork’s narrative. The eyes in these drawings act as a window into the complexities of human existence, explored through the visceral process of session-based drawing. The works subtly evoke both sincerity and innocence, capturing the delicate balance between purity and the more complicated aspects of life. Swensen brings together invented characters and personas that reflect all of us, embodying the multiplicity of human experience. These figures act as mirrors, encouraging reflection on our shared struggles, desires, and vulnerabilities. Through this body of work, Swensen invites us to confront the universality of the human condition, offering a space for empathy, connection, and self-reflection.