Exhibition Review: Zorawar Sidhu & Rob Swainston: Doomscrolling
Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston, January 6, 2021, Multi-color woodblock print on paper Paper
57.5 x 45.25 inches
Written by Aaron Norton
Edited by Hillary Mitchell
By definition, Doomscrolling refers to the “tendency to continue to surf or scroll through bad news, even though that news is saddening, disheartening, or depressing.” Although this is a bleak definition for the 21st century term – Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston, a collaborative art duo from New York City, have brought the term to life in a mesmerizing – and incredibly colorful – way.
At first glance, these works of art are beautiful and eye-catching. The colors of the work pop off of the wooden canvases that Sidhu and Swainston work on. The color is not the only thing that catches the eye of the viewer however – in fact, after looking at the works for a while, you can start to see the unsettling reasons for the exhibition’s namesake. The colorful aura of the exhibition may be intended as a ruse for the audience, because once you look deeper, you can start to see the true messages behind the work.
Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston, May 26, 11 PM, 2021
Multi-color woodblock print on paper,
57.5 x 45.25 inches
For many of us, 2020 was a year unlike any other. The Coronavirus pandemic was surging, political turmoil was at an all-time high, and people all around the world were facing challenges that many of us never thought we would see during our lifetimes. Yet it was during this incredibly difficult year that the collaborative art duo of Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston found inspiration for their work. Whether it be the January 6th Capitol riot or the relations between the people and police, the two artists used their talent as a way to understand the unprecedented madness.
Just as the last few years have been hard to understand for the general public, Sidhu and Swainston’s exhibition may be characterized as that – hard to understand. It takes the problems and uncomfortable situations our country has faced and shines a light on the heinousness and discombobulation associated with politics, racism and national and international health crises. But just because something is hard to understand doesn’t mean it’s impossible to decipher. On the contrary, Doomscrolling is quite loud and clear when it comes to its message.
Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston, May 24, 2021, Multi-color woodblock print on paper
57.5 x 45.25 inches
146.1 x 114.9 cm
This exhibition is charged – both politically and emotionally. It takes everything our country has faced in the past few years and highlights it in a glorious, albeit, depressing way. Even though Doomscrolling has a negative definition, Sidhu and Swainston’s work is not negative in the slightest. If anything, it’s a way for our country to reflect and heal from the atrocities we’ve had to face as a nation.
Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston, June 1, 7:30 PM, 2021
Multi-color woodblock print on paper 57.5 x 45.25 inches
The five stages of grief go as follows – denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance. With Doomscrolling, we bypass all of the difficulty associated with the first four stages and move on to the most important stage of all – acceptance.
Zorawar Sidhu and Rob Swainston are a collaborative art duo based in New York City, NY. Their current exhibition, Doomscrolling, is currently on display at the Petzel Gallery located at 35 E 67th Street, New York, NY until February 12, 2022. For additional information regarding the exhibition and future exhibitions, you can visit the Petzel Gallery Website at: www.petzel.com
