Train Station

Artist John August Swanson (1938 - 2021)

Date1975

MediumSerigraph, 35 color printings

Dimensions28 x 40 in. (71.1 x 101.6 cm)
Framed (Frame is silver metal, wired, glazed): 33 x 45 1/2 x 1 1/4 in. (83.8 x 115.6 x 3.2 cm)

ClassificationsPrintmaking

Credit LineGift of Diane Kenney '64 and DarEll Weist

Object number2026.067

DescriptionArtist’s Statement:
This artwork was inspired by my travels in Mexico in 1973, where I saw amazing murals, folk art, music, and dance. As I traveled through Mexico, the train stations I visited were powerful and amazing places, filled with emotions of great sorrow and joy. There was weeping and laughter, as people said farewell to old friends and welcomed loved ones. Visually, there was so much going on: people, trains, and colorful vendors were selling flowers, fruits, pastries (Pan Dulces), magazines, books, and newspapers. I tried to capture that energy in this artwork.

There is ambivalence in travel, the way we celebrate both the excitement of taking a trip and honor the sadness of departing. From this work, I started to understand that we are all on a journey as we move through life, and our place in life’s journey is connected to those who have gone before, and to those still to arrive. The Train Station becomes a symbol of the journey and the richness of our lives.

https://johnaugustswanson.com/catalog/train-station/

On View

Not on view

Collections