TONY SWAIN

After choosing to paint on newspaper for economic reasons, Swain began to allow sections of the page to show through the paint, using the printed material as a starting point for his work. Taking inspiration from colours, shapes or patterns he finds on the newsprint, Swain is led to create the painting as he goes along, instead of beginning with a fixed idea. He prefers to use The Guardian, due to the high quality of its photographic images.

Swain was born in Lisburn, Northern Ireland. He studied in Liverpool and at the Glasgow School of Art. Solo exhibitions include The Shorter Alphabet, The Modern Institute, Glasgow (2015); Other Planets are Available, Kunstverein Freiburg (2015) and Undetailed Progress, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead (2015). Swain currently lives and works in Glasgow.