Devin Swett

Devin Swett (b. 1986, Hanover, New Hampshire) Devin Swett is a Manchester, NH based photographer. His work explores humanity’s profound impact on the natural world, an approach that follows in the footsteps of the New Topographics movement. Drawing inspiration from diverse artistic mediums, he infuses his personal perspective into each piece. With meticulous attention to composition and lighting, he strives to craft images that captivate viewers. Devin’s photographic works exist solely as handmade prints which distinguish themselves from the fleeting nature of modern photography. Each image possesses a tangible presence beyond electronic pulses traveling through silicon. However, this physicality renders the photographic prints susceptible to the same forces of nature and humanity they depict.

Devin’s work was featured in ‘Clear Cut,’ on view May 11-26, 2024.

Join us for an Artist Talk with Devin Swett on Sunday, May 29 at 11am est on Instagram Live at @see.saw.art_.

In my ‘Windows’ series, I orchestrate captivating panoramas by arranging frames extracted from rolls of 120 film, drawing inspiration from the iconic style of David Hockney. Each frame within the series is meticulously composed to stand alone as an intriguing image, yet when paired with three others from the same scene, they form a dynamic narrative. Through a deliberate play of perspectives and shifting positions between frames, with time passing between each shot, I craft scenes that encapsulate the perpetual dance between humanity and nature, capturing the essence of different moments in this eternal interplay.

Devin’s work was featured in ‘Critical Mass,’ on view August 12-27, 2023.

“This piece explores meaning and purpose in our culture where so much is disposable. It was created for the purpose of harvesting solar energy and expending it to make some LEDs blink, a way of declaring its own existence. Beyond the simplicity of existing and blinking, what point is there for it though? The world certainly isn’t changed whether it exists and functions or not, and if any of the electronic components were to fail, it wouldn’t stop existing. Even if it were to be disassembled and cast away, the memory of it may still exist in everyone who experienced its presence, until they no longer exist. In this sense, is this piece so different from the life of a plant, or an ant, or spider, mouse, cat, dog, or human? Our existence is only for a short moment and recognizing that everything around us is just as fleeting lends perspective to the value of life and the moment around it.”

Devin Swett