Review of the show by The Citrus Report:

We have had a bunch of openings that we have visited over the years, a bunch at FIFTY24SF Gallery in particular. But there was something in the energy on the 200 block of Fillmore Street last night, when the first patrons began walking into Swampy’s “In My Room” solo show and installation. At first, the show is clean and simple: 3 large paintings and 8 photographs. They were striking simply based on what we know of Swampy: photos of train-hopping adventures throughout North America, paintings on found objects, and of course, the now widespread and cult-followed Swampy Skull icon.

But then, of course, this show was not just 3 & 8. It was a full installation, with these 11 works just as integral to the concept of the “In My Room” installation as the entire back room experience. This was a “Swampy Show,” the before and after, the work put in and the output, inside the mind and what comes out in paintings and photographs. The life, lifestyle, and the work. The adventure. The obsession. The dedication. The character.

So, of course, you lift the 3rd paintings, and climb into the world behind and inside the Swampy Donkey. Its cluttered, it moves, it makes a sound, and it gets added to by friends and casual passerbys. And most importantly, it is not permanent. —Raymond Brown / The Citrus Report

All photography by Patrick Kawahara.

Posted by FIFTY24SF Gallery

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