Ricky Swallow

Broadly speaking, Ricky Swallow’s wood carved sculptures could be described as vanitas. Aside from the symbolism and memento mori-ness are the personal narratives and history of the artist, immortalised in a sleeping bag or paper wrapper that mimics the drapes and folds in a typical Old Master still life, an eel hangs out in a tyre and a skull gets sucked into the bum-space of a leather bean bag (pictured, Come Together). Swallow learnt how to carve from a learn-how-to-carve book which is both brilliant and baffling to the non handy.