Exhibition: “Who Is My Neighbor?” Art by John August Swanson
Poster of exhibit, titled “‘Who is my neighbor?’ Art by John August Swanson”
This collection of prints and posters created by John August Swanson speak to the Boston University School of Theology’s theme, Power, Privilege, and Prophetic Witness. Through colorful images and compelling text drawn from the Bible, writings by prominent theologians, poets, and activists, Swanson tells us the stories of those that inspire us to be better human beings. The viewer sees with our eyes how themes of ecology, assisting underserved populations, and equal rights for all are cries for justice and community. Depictions of figures like St. Francis of Assisi, and the words of Martin Luther King, Jr., Daniel Berrigan, S.J., Pope Francis, John F. Kennedy, Franklin D. Roosevelt, and E.E. Cummings ask the viewer to consider the harsh truths about unfair wages, global warming, the strife of indigenous people, immigration reform, Black lives, and other complex social issues.
Swanson serves to motivate us, to push us into action through expressive art and language. And hopefully, we accept his challenge, though the path to peace is riddled with pain, struggle, and sacrifice. Today, more than any other moment in recent history, we must explore the works of this artist to better understand ourselves so we may fight for a better world.
John August Swanson makes his home in Los Angeles, California, where he was born in 1938. He paints in oil, watercolor, acrylic, and mixed media, and is an independent printmaker of limited edition serigraphs, lithographs, and etchings.
His art reflects the strong heritage of storytelling he inherited from his Mexican mother and Swedish father. John August Swanson’s narrative is direct and easily understood. He addresses human values, cultural roots, and a quest for self discovery through visual images and impactful text quotations spoken by prominent theologians, philosophers, and activists speaking out for equality for all people. He also shows us how our own stories, living as everyday citizens of the world can be transformational. All his parables optimistically , and colorfully, encourage us to embrace life and one’s spiritual transformation.
John August Swanson studied with Sister Corita Scott Kent at Immaculate Heart College. His unique style is influenced by the imagery of Islamic and medieval miniatures, Russian iconography, the color of Latin American folk art, and the tradition of Mexican muralists.
Artwork of John August Swanson
The top of this poster asks “And who is my neighbor?” and adapts a quote from John Wallis from Sojourners magazine (June 2017). Sojourners magazine is a publication of Sojourners, a progressive Christian organization focused on social justice. The second is also a quote from Sojourners magazine (this case, John Hay Jr., 2009). The library has access to Sojourners in physical form: https://buprimo.hosted.exlibrisgroup.com/permalink/f/1du03mk/ALMA_BOSU121639122440001161.
Let’s Work Together, Make a Difference. A poster highlighting the power and strength in numbers to improve our world.
The top of this Swanson poster quotes a prayer said during the consecration of the Eucharist in Catholic masses focused on reconciliation. The bottom half of the poster quotes Isaiah 2:4.
This Swanson poster quotes the lyrics of “The Seeds of Brotherhood” (1967) from indigenous singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie.
This poster by John August Swanson shares a quote from the sermon of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968) from his final Christmas Sermon, given from Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia. This speech is recorded and viewable on YouTube.com: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1jeyIAH3bUI.
The top of this poster quotes Leviticus 19:34; the bottom half of this poster shares a quote in Spanish from a Guatemalan mother of three, translated as “I do not know when I can see my children again. Each minute that I am separated from my children is anguish.” This is from a handwritten note submitted to the court in the case MGU v. Nielsen, a “case arose in response to President Trump’s 2018 family separation policy. On April 6, 2018, the US Attorney General announced a “zero-tolerance” immigration policy, which criminally prosecuted all adult entrants crossing the border without documentation, including asylum seekers accompanied by minor children.” (Civil Rights Litigation Courthouse)
This poster shares a (slightly re-worded) quote of Cesar Chavez (1927-1993) following the end of his first fast in 1968: “When we are really honest with ourselves, we must admit that our lives are all that really belongs to us. So it is how we use our lives that determines what kind of men we are. It is my deepest belief that only by giving our lives do we find life. I am convinced that the truest act of courage, the strongest act of manliness, is to sacrifice ourselves for others in a totally non-violent struggle for justice.”
“i thank You God for most this amazing” is a poem by poet E.E. Cummings (1950). Here, the poet (son of an ordained minister) celebrates rebirth and the beauty of creation.
This top of this poster includes a quote from the Physicians For Social Responsibility, stating “Healthcare is a human right. It is the responsibility of society, through its government, to ensure this right.” The bottom of the poster is a quote from Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the WHO, stating “Universal health coverage and health security are two sides of the same coin. This year, 400 million people, mostly poor people, women and children, around the world remain without access to healthcare.”
Who on Earth Do You Think You Are? The main text on this item quotes a lyric from the John Lennon/Yoko Ono song “Instant Karma!” (1970) and includes a quote underneath from controversial Canadian theologian Jean Vanier (1928-2019).
