Cole Swanson

Artists

Specimen Hides, 2021
Hand-prepared mineral and bone-based colors on wasli paper, entomology pins, wood, and fabric

Natural history display methodologies have, over time, shaped our conceptions of animals. While the skins of mammals are often presented in museums as naturalistic taxidermy mounts, insects are pinned to entomological boards with their wings spread open. These display modalities fulfill more than scientific necessity. They implicitly foreground the defining role our anthropocentric perspectives play in assigning value to animal lives based on species membership and scale of the body. Carefully painted on paper, these miniaturized cowhides problematize the relationship between representation and indexicality, observation and consumption.

Crioulo Lageano
Osso Preto
Amazônica
Nellore (Jabriel)
Gyr

Courtesy of the artist.

Crioulo Lageano, Specimen Hides (2021), Hand-prepared mineral and bone-based colors on wasli paper, entomology pins, wood, and fabric

Osso Preto, Specimen Hides (2021), Hand-prepared mineral and bone-based colors on wasli paper, entomology pins, wood, and fabric

Amazônica, Specimen Hides (2021), Hand-prepared mineral and bone-based colors on wasli paper, entomology pins, wood, and fabric

Nellore (Jabriel), Specimen Hides (2021), Hand-prepared mineral and bone-based colors on wasli paper, entomology pins, wood, and fabric

Gyr, Specimen Hides (2021), Hand-prepared mineral and bone-based colors on wasli paper, entomology pins, wood, and fabric

Cole Swanson is an artist and educator based in Toronto, Ontario. Through a multidisciplinary, collaborative, and materially-focused practice, he explores interspecies dynamics evolving in the so-called anthropocene.

Swanson has exhibited works in national and international institutions on four continents and is two-time arts fellow through the Shastri Indo-Canadian Institute for his research on natural materials, miniature painting, fresco, and earth pigments. With a sustainable and access-oriented approach to creation and dissemination, Swanson often collaborates with conservationists, scientists, and social/community partners to integrate education, environmental awareness, and lived experience into the creative process.

Swanson has received support from numerous public agencies including the Toronto Arts Council, the Ontario Arts Council, and the Canada Council for the Arts. He is a Program Coordinator and full-time faculty member in the Visual Arts department at Humber College, Toronto and has held positions in teaching, curatorial, and arts administration in various institutions throughout Ontario.

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