The unique works that result are expressions not only of the objects’ constructed forms, but also of the process of transformation by which an inert grouping of things becomes a sculpture. In 'killing time' ricky swallow has synthesised his interests in time passing, personal and collective memory, everyday experiences and the history of art. Ricky swallow is best known for sculptural works that combine everyday objects and contemporary imagery with references to art history and themes of labour, time and obsolescence.
Ricky swallow’s intensive labours honour some private incidental moments, to which end all the modelling, building, and carving can seem simply autobiographical. My work has always essentially been about translation, passing a subject through various processes on the way to a fixed or permanent state, with each different material influencing the creation of new forms. 1 swallow achieved this liberation by isolating a moment and an object in popular culture, remaking it in balsa.