SWING

This is hysterical; back in 1977, I sketched up a picture I called “Swing” in my sketch pad using felt tipped pens for colouring.  I tried various combinations, thicknesses, hues, and so forth until I found something I was satisfied with.

I was trying to get down something that captured what sport meant for me.  I needed the court lines, the markings, the demarcations.  I needed shapes that resembled basket balls, nets, golf clubs, footballs, snooker balls, cues, colours and the like.  I also wanted it to be flat,  but full of implied motion, and have a quality that allows it to be hung any of the four ways and remain sensible.

I also wanted to refer to swing, the jazz music — the rhythms and beats of sport. I needed to refer to staves, clefs, and musical notes and have jazzy colours too!

Anyway.  I have several notebook sketches of “Swing”, and finally, eventually and recently, I painted it on in traditional oils on a large canvas.

It is now hanging in an office in Govan, and has even been filmed by the BBC!

Sadly, I do not have a photograph of the canvas, but I have a snap of my sketch from 1977 (see above).

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