A new interdisciplinary field of scholarship bringing together art, religion, theology and spirituality as exemplified by the art of John August Swanson will come to LMU on March 20-21 for an exhibition and conference that will focus on theological aesthetics.
The conference centers on the works of Los Angeles artist John August Swanson work hangs in international collections such as the Vatican Museum, the Smithsonian and the Tate Gallery. Swanson’s art brings to life theological insights through a vibrant aesthetic representing a hybrid of styles and cultures.
Swanson will be present throughout the conference and will lecture on his life’s journey starting as an LMU pre-med student in 1957, to his discovery of protest art and his involvement in faith-driven justice projects. He will share also share rarely-seen historical images of his early works. Swanson is one of our greatest living artists, not only in the quality of his art, but in his sustained commitment to social justice and to the religious faith that grounds it.