Mike Swaney: How many paintings in a roll of canvas?

NBB Gallery
January 20 - February 13, 2022

We are excited to present: “How many paintings in a roll of canvas?” by Michael Swaney, a Canadian artist who will be holding his second solo show in Berlin here at NBB.

We have prepared a playful, yet powerful pictorial program in which the artist introduces to us a colorful world with a unique and childlike aesthetic. Swaney’s distinct artistic language makes reference to periods such as Pre-Columbian art, the CoBrA movement and encompassing terms like "Art Brut" or "Outsider Art”; all of these influences intersect whilst sharing closely related processes founded on intuition.

“How many paintings in a roll of canvas?” answers the proposed question and offers us much more. Not only are we able to appreciate the artists intuitive practice which is driven by inspiration found in the most unexpected places -whether in quotidian games such as dominoes, cards, darts or the portrayal of people stranded in movies, keeping track of the days- but it also allows the viewer to connect with their inner imagination and take a journey through a sea of vivid figuration.