Erik SwahnAutoscope

Autoscope is a new departure for Swahn. In many of his previous works, the artist generates a singular object as a central motif, whereas in this new series, immersive spaces are formulated using colour and configurations of geometric shapes. In Autoscope, Swahn has created new universes that suggest pastoral landscapes, modernist abstraction, and deeply coloured textiles. Swahn’s background in architecture imbues his work with a deep spatial awareness and the ability to play with space and perspective. In Autoscope, pyramids, cones, cylinders, and waveforms create a shifting topography. Some parts of the image are blurred, distorted, or subjected to erasure, suggesting the recollection of a hazy memory. Each image presents a richly saturated, animated chromatic world.

Previous bodies of work, such as Punktwelt and Fields, exemplify Swahn’s fascination with colour theory and how colours interact to create atmosphere and structure space. His practice often involves an economy of means, for example, abstract objects in a reduced landscape in Punktwelt or irregular grids used to create light and reflections in Fields. This sense of clarity permeates the artist’s approach to art. Swahn uses code and computational procedures as creative tools to build artworks characterised by precision and intelligibility. In Funktor, each piece is generated using a sequence of mathematical functions called signed distance functions. The result is a field of points that evolve unexpectedly to enclose space and create form. In Punktwelt, a single rectangular block is transformed using a method called Boolean subtraction, creating illusory or paradoxical abstract geometrical shapes.

Autoscope builds on Swahn’s previous body of work while exploring new possibilities in terms of colour and form. In Autoscope the artist invites you to experience what he terms a “chromatopia.”