Swing-boats

1921

Not on view

Swing-Boats captures the velocity and dynamism that Flight and the Grosvenor School artists found in Futurism and sought to portray in their depictions of interwar modern life. Here, Flight captures the joy and exuberance of flying in a funfair ride using rhythmic curves, dynamic lines, and repeated geometric forms and patterns. A large swath of visible paper and the jagged reddish-brown of the vessel indicate its extraordinary speed, suggesting an ability to launch into the sky and defy earthly restrictions. Concentric lines reinforce the impression of movement. In the upper corner, riders are reduced to circular forms representing abstracted heads, torsos, arms, and other body parts. Their boat continues beyond the edge of the composition, a testament to the powerful momentum of the ride.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Swing-boats
Artist: Claude Flight (British, 1881–1955)
Date: 1921
Medium: Color linoleum cut
Dimensions: block: 8 3/4 x 11 1/4 in. (22.2 x 28.6 cm)
sheet: 9 11/16 x 12 5/16 in. (24.6 x 31.3 cm)
Classification: Prints
Credit Line: Gift of Johanna and Leslie Garfield, 2005
Object Number: 2005.470.2
Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

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