Preen by Murray Swan

This work is a careful fusion of stainless steel, titanium and copper in a dimension of 1100 x 400 x 500mm. It is simple yet sophisticated in form, and have captured my taste for contemporary minimalism. It somehow reminds me of a fallen twig and leaf that is a beauty in itself, if only the eyes would look beyond what is ordinary. This piece would make a curious addition to modern lofts and contemporary homes. The artist surely knows how to bring out the life from cold metals.

More About the Artist:

Murray Swan was born in Tauranga, New Zealand and moved to Auckland with his family as a youngster. He developed an artistic flair during his intermediate school years, but chose not to persue art in favour of an engineering career. He did a woodworking and metalwork course at Kelston Boys High school and then a 5 year Apprentiship with Air New Zealand (then TEAL).

The training and experience he gained as an aircraft engineer both in New zealand and the United States over the next 34 years gave him some of the fairly unique practical and design skills he would need to express his artistic leanings later in life.

What is Your Philosophy?

It is my desire through my art, to reveal the inherent beauty within some of the metals we commonly use. The textures colours and shapes available from many metals are often taken for granted and sometimes not used to their full advantage. Living in close proximity to one of New Zealand's active volcanic hot-spots, one is sometimes reminded of the part nature has to play in the production of some basic metal elements. It is not uncommon for volcanoes to give up gold, silver, iron etc., during an eruption.

Within my artwork, I can express what I think are our links to the past, and the many uses of metals over the ages, with frequent references to the explosive creativity of nature's forge. It is my personal challenge to explore to the greatest possible depth, all the elements of colour, texture and form that can be achieved from the metals I work with.