Does an artist need a classroom to learn the language of art ? Self-taught artists would say a firm ‘No’ and for good reason. With their raw talent and the absence of a dictated roadmap, such artists speak volumes through each of their masterpieces. Core Sway is one of them.
Sway, having received no formal training, picked up art when he left Essex for London in the mid-2000s. He may not have known the bounds of what was in store for him because art was no serious pursuit for him back then; it was just a hobby. As Sway moved from one shared house to another, he shaped his bedrooms into studios where he’d create art on canvas after canvas. Soon enough, his studio started spilling over into the wider public space. And he’d gone from being Adam Jacobs, the artist painting from his bedroom, to Core Sway. The latter, his artist name, is an ode to the road where much of his growing years unfolded. In 2019, he held his first solo exhibition titled ‘There’s No Time Like the Present But Sometimes I Prefer the Past’ in Walthamstow.
In recent years, Sway has produced far more pieces than he did when he was a novice testing out brushstrokes in his room. His latest group exhibition participation was “On the Side,” a street art display at The Sidings, Waterloo Station, in 2023.
Emotion and Experimentation : The Heart of Sway’s Art
Anything that triggers a response in him becomes the subject of Core Sway’s creativity. As he notes, this can be advertisements, magazine clippings, discarded ephemera, TV, film, or fashion. The resultant work is experimental. Music and visual media have held tremendous influence over Sway, with the culture he sees serving as the stimulant for conversations that extend into his work.
Sometimes, his art is also influenced by his feelings at the moment. When his emotions lead the creative process, Sway’s work is frequently laden with personal and slightly cryptic messages.
Sway has tapped into concepts of eco-consciousness in his more recent works by emphasising recycling and rejuvenation. These include collage and mixed media work on canvas but he uses materials that he has accumulated over time.
Recycled and Reimagined : Sway’s Material Palette
Core Sway prefers mixed media and enjoys bringing flat canvases alive with texturing and layering. The pieces he makes is, therefore, characterised by a three-dimensional quality.
He uses anything and everything for his art — old sport clippings from newspapers, stickers, postcards, polythene shopping bags, drum skins, polaroids, ticket stubs, off cuts of different materials, and trading cards, just to name a few. He’s even used a card shopping bag from Ibiza.
Pandemic Pivot : Sway’s Creative Transformation
Sway, as we’ve seen already, began his journey as an artist, seeing the pursuit more as a hobby than a serious engagement. He started experimenting with oil paints and acrylic on canvas, inspired by pop art. He would also toss in a few words and phrases in his work.
It was the pandemic that marked a shift in his style. He bought an A3 sketchpad and challenged himself to create a new piece based solely on made-up or invented slogans. The catch ? He allowed himself only an hour to complete the task. At first, he focused on creating paintings. But this evolved into mixed media art through layering. He would use clippings, glue, and newspapers to achieve the desired texture and layers. Sway wanted to go big with this project. So, as soon as he wrapped up the smaller work, he turned to larger canvases. The number and types of materials he used also grew. Now, with the scope of his projects wider than earlier, Sway spent a longer period of time on each work.
Personal and Powerful : The Essence of Sway’s Art
Why does Core Sway use old materials for his work ? It’s not simply a sense of nostalgia that drives his decision to do so. Instead of tossing these out to waste, Sway likes repurposing each material, giving it new character by transforming it into something entirely different and new through layering. This speaks a lot about Sway’s inventive spirit.
Sway also gives his work a distinct graffiti edge. His art is extremely personal as a result, and it is also challenging to replicate.
Dive Deeper into Core Sway’s World
Want to delve deeper into the captivating world of Core Sway’s art ? Visit his website to explore a wider range of his innovative mixed media pieces. From his early experiments to his latest groundbreaking works, Sway’s online gallery offers a comprehensive view of his artistic journey.
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