(above: Artonomy at Centrespace gallery, Bristol)
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Artonomy
S.W.A.L.<. (South West Artist Little Cartel) was set up in 2004 by a group of independent artists who rely both on concept and craft to make their art. S.W.A.L.<. launched its initiative with a show by eight artists entitled,‘ARTONOMY: conflicting images of human behaviour’. The invented word ‘artonomy’ suggests that art is self-governing. When applied by contemporary artists it could mean a reclaiming or reappraisal of ideas and imagery.
As mass media swamps us with imagery and commentary on our behaviour, politicians and corporations use this to dictate changes to the way we live. Artists have tended to absorb and distort this material with their personal experience to make art with an alternative view. Does art then become a form of politics?
As S.W.A.L.<. expanded to include artists beyond the South West its activity it now operates under the less geographically specific Kangaroo Kourt name.
