Artwork
Soon divided and so on
Soon divided and so on is a print by Tony Swain. It dates from 2007 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2007, *Soon divided and so on* is a screenprint by Tony Swain that layers a tranquil waterside scene over fragments of *The Guardian* newspaper.
Created in 2007, *Soon divided and so on* is a screenprint by Tony Swain that layers a tranquil waterside scene over fragments of *The Guardian* newspaper. Using green and cream inks, the work merges natural imagery with printed media, transforming the newspaper’s textual density into a textured ground. The artist’s signature confirms its status as a limited, hand-produced print, distinct from mass circulation.
Subject & Meaning
The piece juxtaposes serene natural forms with the fragmented remnants of daily news and advertising. Headlines, classifieds, and photographs are rearranged to obscure their original context, suggesting how media narratives dissolve into background noise. The landscape emerging through the text implies a quiet persistence of nature amid the clutter of human communication.
Technique & Style
Swain employed screenprinting to overlay inked layers of landscape onto recycled newspaper sheets. He cut, repositioned, and printed over existing print, creating a composite surface where some text remains legible while other portions are blurred or obscured. The palette is muted, with selective use of green and cream to guide the viewer’s eye toward the central imagery.
History & Provenance
The work entered the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum in London, where it is held as part of a broader study of contemporary printmaking and media critique. Its inclusion reflects institutional interest in how artists repurpose mass-produced materials to examine information overload and cultural memory.
Context
Emerging from a period of intense media saturation, the work responds to the overwhelming presence of newspapers in early 21st-century life. Swain’s method echoes earlier collage traditions but applies them to contemporary journalism, highlighting the tension between information and meaning in a digitizing world.
Legacy
*Soon divided and so on* contributes to a lineage of print-based works that interrogate media’s role in shaping perception. Its quiet, layered composition invites prolonged viewing, encouraging reflection on how daily news becomes both archive and artifact. The piece remains a quiet testament to the materiality of information.
Artist & collection
