Swain Hoogervorst uses vibrant colour and swirling brushstrokes to create massive (and little) breathtaking works of wonder

You speak of ‘play’ in art-making as a sense of ‘letting go’ and how you thought painting had to be serious. Could you expand on that and how your attitude changed?

I think I’m still very serious. I always have been, it’s a work in progress to be less so. What I meant by this was that I think as an artist, or rather within the process of making work, you quite literally work and work at an idea you’re trying to bring to fruition. However, there are these moments where you almost relieve yourself of trying or pushing so that something effortless happens. I suppose I am trying to create paintings that can embody this moment entirely. To appear effortless, but ultimately considered.

You work on small- and large-scale canvases. What do you love about creating large pieces of art?

The movement, the opportunity to use your full body to make a mark. It is a very physical experience for me to create a large painting. Time is recorded in the paint in terms of how it breaks up on the surface when you drag your brush across it. The confrontation that you are unable to hide and get away with certain marks, instead they are all visible, and the task of suggesting your subject with paint becomes more challenging. It’s overwhelming and daunting, yet incredibly liberating at the same time.

What is another creative outlet you have besides painting?

I love taking photographs. In a way this process is connected to my work. But I find immense catharsis in taking pictures of the world around me. It’s a less pressured environment and a very satisfying pastime.

Making a living off art is no easy feat. How can artists find their way in the art world? 

Surround yourself with a community of artists or a network in which you can grow. These people will become your peers and assist in supporting you and helping you develop your work and your career. I think without community, becoming an artist is even more challenging due to the already isolated nature in which many artists work. You can find this sense of community through a shared studio space, going to art school or involving yourself in your local art community by going to exhibition openings and art-related events.

you’re hosting an artsy dinner party. Which artists are invited?

Definitely David Hockney, he just seems wonderful and his work has played, and continues to play, such an influential role in my thought process. David Goldblatt because one of his photographs was the first I saw that made me want to take landscape pictures. Kanye West, just because it would be terrifying and exhilarating to speak to someone who continues to believe in themselves no matter what. Marcus Aurelius because of Gladiator and his philosophy; and Simon Stone, a South African painter who I hope to meet and who’s work I deeply admire.

What’s next for you and your art?

Everard Read, with whom I have just exhibited in Cape Town, has representation in both Johannesburg and London, so I am aiming to set my sights a bit further afield as well as looking at artist residencies. These are international programmes that allow artists to live and work in another country for a certain period of time. I would find them extremely gratifying in adding fresh perspective to my work.

Words: Robyn Lane | Photography: Mike Hall, Courtesy Images