Gary Swanson is an artist from Solon Springs, WI who has devoted his life to elementary art education. He recently received his MFA from the University of Wisconsin Superior.

Swanson’s anthropomorphic assemblages evoke a surprisingly wide array of emotions: from detachment, loneliness, and despair to humor, love, and caring. This installation of works will both entertain and confront the gallery visitor.

Artist Statement:

I have always been fascinated with the art of primitive cultures, and watching children create art for the past 28 years has certainly helped to shape my eye. “The Modern Primitive” is a cross-fertilization of materials in assemblage sculpture where I am exploring the commonalities and contrasts inherent in natural organic forms and discarded manufactured objects. This congregation of wall mounted figures reflect metaphors of antique tools and tinker toys: ancient artifacts and art movements, influenced from Primitivism, Early Modern and “Outsider Art.”