Henry Swanson (b. 1993) is a Postwar and Contemporary artist and oil painter living and working in Brooklyn. His work is inspired by cartoons, comics, and his childhood growing up in Dallas.
Henry Swanson
Thorns in the Manger
JUNE 2, 2022 - JULY 2, 2022
In this body of work, Swanson is highly critical of his own background and upbringing in Texas. The tightwad atmosphere of religion, cheap water parks, “America First” Christmas cards, and obesity cultivated a backdrop for paintings more primed to examine the American family unit the way a forensic analyst examines a plane crash or a crime scene. Swanson utilizes classical painting techniques paired with mixed media textures reminiscent of the American home. His work seeks not only to depict a sense of restrictive high culture, but stage the scene of the dinner tables and childhood bedrooms where familial chaos and disaster happens.
2019 Vermont Studio Center Residency - Johnson, VT
2018 At Large Gallery Residency Program - Brooklyn, NY
2017 The Goss-Michael Foundation Residency Program - Dallas, TX
2016 Rhode Island School of Design, BFA Painting – Providence, RI
“Charles and Friends”
CRAIGHEAD GREEN GALLERY
Dallas, TX
New Texas Talent XXII - Juried Exhibition