Walter Swennen

Swennen is someone I found on the Xavier Hufkens website. I think they are an exceptional gallery representing quite a few good contemporary artists (most of whom I disagree with, but still respect). I had not heard of Swennen earlier. When I first started looking at his stuff a few things hit me.

This guy has a style that seems to lend itself to producing a lot of simple bold works.
His sweeping used of unique color combinations is notable
His mix of representational objects that are on the verge of being abstract along with broken text… really compelling.

From what I have learned (I’m just starting), Swennen started as a print maker which makes sense. He is not painterly most of the time. His pieces work when they resemble a screen print.

I wanted to stump out a spot for him here because I’m thinking of his color a lot. Look at Avil Blue just below.

**Saint Avil Blue, 2020**
This is such a simple image. There is a lot that is bad about it. But it works for me. I like the colors, the text, the weird comic book guy.
Its strange.

That is really just 4 colors. Its so simple. But its weird and makes me wonder what the heck this could be conveying. I like that it puts me in the mindset where I’m asking questions.

The first piece that I love of Swennen’s is below.

**Mon Quartier - 2019**
This is the first image that grabbed me. I came back to this image by Swennen several times.

I’m not sure why I like it so much. I just went gallery hopping today and was looking at an abstract expressionists work. I didn’t like it. Technically it was good for an abstract expressionist, but I have seen so many shows where people are doing the same thing over and over and over again. This piece above, ‘Mon Quartier’ should fall into that… except it doesn’t.

There are representational symbols. That crown. It gives this piece an authority. I feel like I’m looking at a government seal of approval on the painting. Like a duty tax seal on a pack of cigarettes. I’m not sure why but for me, today, that adds something to this piece that without it, it would not have been superior.
The rest of it is good…. hmm… maybe its not as good as I keep thinking. I’ll have to come back to this.

Current Opinion:

I’m not 100% sold on Swennen yet. I feel like his complete body of work is lacking. I say this while having just seen what is on the Xavier Hufkens website, there could be something I’m missing. When I was looking, I felt that Swennen didn’t have a great critical eye. I felt like he let a lot of sub par works out the door.

I feel like there are some good lessons I can learn by looking at this work. He was truly gifted with what I think of as being a ‘gestalt’ image maker (where one can understand what they are looking at in an instant). When his paintings work, I like how he can convey an idea instantly. I also like how the idea can make no sense so you just wonder what the heck your looking at.

Below are a few of my favorite Swennen works.