Marvellous Suspension of Disbelief: Rebecca Swainston

The exhibition ‘Marvellous Suspension of Disbelief’ invites you to leave all your troubles at the door and enter the world of artist Rebecca Swainston, as she takes us on a magical journey, take a leap of faith and come in…….

In her new body of work Rebecca draws deeply on her experiences of a residency in Mexico City in late 2023 alongside the theme of the circus. Both become a metaphor in the paintings for taking risks and ‘imposter syndrome’. The title for the exhibition comes directly from this, however through the creative act she transforms this into a celebration of walking into the unknown. It speaks to our daily need to suspend disbelief and continue anyway.

The Mexico residency was an overwhelming experience. She says she painted quickly to capture what she saw. Her time there coincided with the annual Day of The Dead celebrations. The city was awash with people dressed up in exuberant costumes and marigold flowers. She was struck by how comfortable the Mexican people are with their own dreams and imagination.

In the painting ‘Hombre de Cempasuchil’ – Marigold Man, she brings them together, saying; ‘In the Mexico City there are many people cleaning the streets, working largely unnoticed. Marigolds were everywhere, as they are the flower for the dead, the petals represent a thousand lives. I reflected that the man cleaning the streets may have dreams beyond sweeping up the dead flowers and clearing up after others. I dressed him in a cloak of the flowers gave him ballet shoes and elevated him on point.’

The theme of dressing up and daily theatre is amplified in Rebecca paintings inspired by the circus, for her it is a powerful metaphor for the vivid experience of living. She is fascinated by the history of the circus, its faded glitz and glamour, the thrill and danger of the performance, but also by an awareness of life behind the scenes. We sense what it takes to put on these shows, the barely concealed grime, difficulty, and boredom, sweat and tears of repeated rehearsal as well as the insecurities of this life on the road.

The paintings reflect this tussle for the freedom to be who and what you really are and want to be. In the painting ‘Affinity’, this balancing act is played out, there is a delicate connection between the horse and the rider. She performs acrobatics in unsuitable clothing and the unbridled horse could easily bolt if their connection is lost.

There is a deep sense of personal evaluation in Rebecca’s figurative paintings which has formed the backbone of her practice for many years as she explores our collective sense of place in the world, physical and imaginary. In this incredibly rich exhibition, we delve deeper into these key themes of her practice and come to question our place in the performance of life.