Confluence by Graeme Swanson

Confluence is a gathering together and presentation of work featuring colour, texture and surface through collage, drawing, mixed media, painting and print.

Graeme Swanson has chosen the title of Confluence have chosen this title because his work is an interpretation of places been and seen, the atmosphere, weather, mood and he is now happy to show this to anyone who wishes to view. The art of confluence is all about exploring the intersection of different artistic forms, styles, and cultures. It is about finding common ground between different art forms and using that common ground to create something new and exciting. In weather, “confluence” refers to a pattern of wind flow where air flows inward towards an axis oriented parallel to the general direction of flow, essentially a coming together or meeting of airflows. In the context of people, “confluence” refers to a gathering or coming together of individuals, a meeting, or a union. It can also describe a place where different groups or cultures converge.

Graeme Swanson describes his painting process as a form of visual narrative, like imaginary adventure stories. He likes to convey the joy of discovering new places, the aura of ancient or historical sites by visually describing the atmospheric effects, the contrasting moods of the weather, the natural and man made patterns on the surrounding landscape. Through building, spreading and wiping paint and then working back through layers, he reveals hidden stories beneath. He creates more surface and colour to explore new avenues and directions giving the previous expressions of these works a new visual story.

Graeme Swanson is an abstract visual artist and an art tutor based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Born in Aberdeen, Swanson graduated from Grays School of Art in Aberdeen. He won the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA) Latimer Award in 1985. Awarded professional memberships of the Aberdeen Artists Society (1981), The Society of Scottish Artists (SSA, 2008) and in 2020 he became an Artist Member of the Paisley Art Institute.