“Purity of intention, lies in painting out of passion and love to create.”
The “Ballast” exhibition is open by appointment.
Speerstra Gallery is delighted to present “Ballast”, the third solo exhibition by Swiss artist David Weber, aka Swox, at the gallery in Bursins, Switzerland.
For this exhibition, Swox takes on a new subject, allowing him to explore a mineral material with an eye honed on the study of letterforms. Exploring ballast, the bed of stones or gravel used to stabilize railroad tracks, Swox has realized his desire to explore an element that is often ignored, yet essential to the history of the train. He has chosen to collect these mineral elements from strategic areas where he has had the opportunity to paint.
At first glance, one might wonder how to find an artistic dimension in a pile of stones. How do you extract poetry and contemplation from such a cold, dark and noisy material when you walk on it?
Swox offers an innovative graphic vision and narrative approach. In fact, these stones are at the heart of many positive sensations, such as the stability and comfort felt during train journeys. Their facets, similar to those of rough gemstones, are capable of withstanding considerable loads. Ballast adapts to its environment, effectively absorbing and redistributing forces. It also plays an ecological role, limiting the use of weedkillers and facilitating water drainage along railroad lines.
Swox has immersed himself in the study of the diversity of these stones: their shapes, sizes, angles, breaks, colors and textures. Through his work, he celebrates the identity of each pebble, presenting them almost as minimalist portraits. The exhibition resonates with graffiti's sense of freedom, recalling the pleasure of adventure and the search for unconstrained sensations.
Working in acrylic, Swox creates a thick texture that he shapes with different tools, generating structures that infuse movement and fluidity into the rigidity of ballast. The organic character of the stones blends harmoniously with the canvas, highlighting certain shapes that seem sculpted from the material.
©Speerstra Gallery
