Papageno

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John August Swanson’s serigraph PAPAGENO, the second in his series of ten clowns and scenes of the circus, showcases the comic figure from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s opera THE MAGIC FLUTE. PAPAGENO offers Swanson an opportunity to unite his memories of the circus from his childhood with his love for the opera that he enjoys today. About his Papageno, Swanson says, “with his outstretched arms he appears poised like a tightrope walker…or perhaps a person inspired by the choreographed flight of birds - ready to make his own flight.”    Artist’s Notes   “The clown Papageno is the spirit of the opera’s character. He manifests a playfulness and innocence. Papageno decides to release all his captive friends and opens the golden cages.     The birds surround him and perch on his person in tree-like fashion. Nature in the form of many kinds of exotic and beautiful birds is drawn to the clown. His colorful suit is like an assemblage of assorted feathers bestowed upon him by his friends, the birds.”     -John August Swanson, 2008

Image Documentation  An original, hand-printed serigraph published by the artist with the collaboration of Aurora Serigraphic Studio, Van Nuys, CA. Completed November, 2008. Edition Size: 170 on Paper                      Dimensions:     Image: 17½" x 12"    Paper:     22" x 15" Paper: Lana Cover, 100% cotton rag, acid free, mouldmade in France, Classic White Colors: 31 colors printed Price: $300.00  Purchase outside of CA $300.00 USD Purchase in CA $30 + Sales Tax Reserve with a deposit $100.00 USD

About Mozart’s THE MAGIC FLUTE In Mozart’s grand work, Papageno is a fowler, a catcher of birds, who shares his bounty with the Queen of the Night. Papageno is dressed as a bird, covered in feathers from head to toe. The song he plays on his pipes summons the birds, making his job as a bird catcher an easy one. Papageno, “a man of mirth and minstrelry” is comically flawed in THE MAGIC FLUTE. He tells lies to appear braver and stronger and consequently is briefly punished by having his mouth closed with a golden padlock. As a companion to the hero, Prince Tamino, in his quest to rescue the captive princess Pamina from the powerful King Sarastro, Papageno remains a comic foil. He displays a parody of human weakness in marked contrast with the nobility and heroism of Tamino. “Mozart shows us our mirror in Papageno,” Swanson comments. “We laugh at his vanity for showing off his elaborate costume flourished with bright feathers. We laugh at his clumsy attempts to fool the audience with his bravery and abilities. He shows us our own humanity – our frailties, the aspects we don’t like to acknowledge – so as we laugh we recognize ourselves.” In Swanson’s depiction of Papageno, this avian hunter is more of a friend to the birds than a captor. The cages are open. Papageno with his uncaged flock is an allegory: the birds are free, yet they choose to remain close to the clown, swirling joyfully and perching upon his arms.   Clowns are essentially transfigurative beings. In Magic Flute and other narrative works, they serve as comic relief as they accompany the hero on a perilous journey. A clown’s character is drawn from story and myth. Armed with images from the collective unconscious, they bring more to the story than merely the character they portray. These are beings of magic possessing the power to transform the ordinary into the unusual. They are imbued with symbolic power, the ability to convey truths and meaning to the human heart in a way that bypasses the critical intellect.    Papageno and St. Francis of Assisi   John August Swanson’s PAPAGENO owes as much to the stories of Saint Francis as to Mozart’s opera. Saint Francis heard the joyful singing of birds while he was heavy of heart and interrupted his morning prayers to approach them with another friar. Rather than fly away, the birds gathered close. He asked them to be quiet so the men could complete their prayers and the birds complied, singing again only after the two men finished praying. Francis regarded animals as equals, recognizing the subtle bond that human beings share with nature, all the handiwork of a Creator. Later in Spoleto, Francis decided to preach to them. “My brethren the birds”, Francis said, “you ought to greatly praise your creator and always to love Him, who has given feathers to clothe you and all else that you need. God has made you the most noble of creatures. He has given you the air as a dwelling-place; and although you neither sow nor reap, He protects and guides you so that you lack nothing.”   “Because he possessed nothing, he was possessed by all the free creatures of God. All of creation loved him, every bird and animal, and Francis knew it and loved them in return.” -Murray Bodo,OFM, from his book FRANCIS, THE JOURNEY AND THE DREAM    Further Reflections on Papageno the Serigraph    John August Swanson’s newest serigraph, while based on his 1986 watercolor painting of PAPAGENO, is a more fully realized vision. The pointillist techniques that Swanson has mastered are utilized to great effect. Printing began in August, 2008. The serigraph was developed in 31 printings, each printing derived from individual stencils drawn by the artist, and was completed in November, 2008. “In my vision of Papageno, he is surrounded by a shimmering glow of yellow. He has an elegant radiant costume with colorful rows of feathers.” Swanson adds, “The fifty-four birds that fly around him are from my imagination; all have distinctive characteristics and personalities. Their feathers have intense colors with intricately designed patterns.”   Symbolism of Birds   Birds appearing in dreams are often viewed as symbols of freedom. They may also represent thoughts, imagination and ideas that, by nature, require freedom to manifest. In ancient times, birds were believed to be vehicles for the soul possessing the ability to carry the spirit to heaven. As clowns cross borders, standing astride the earthly realm and the imagination, so are birds at home in the air as they are on the ground. A caged bird may suggest restraint, but birds flying freely represent our desires and aspirations - the possibility of the soul soaring into the divine.