Come together

Best known as a realist sculptor who has worked in cardboard and, more recently, bronze, Ricky Swallow gained acclaim in the early 2000s for intricate wood carvings that reimagined the traditions of the still life genre while also referencing popular culture and personal narratives. In this work, the beanbag, which recalls domestic spaces, becomes an unlikely tomb for an upturned skull – a suburban memento mori that is also a monument to the time the artist committed to creating it.