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Penguins are pretty amazing creatures. Their resilience, perseverance and adorableness is practically unparalleled in the natural world. They thrive in one of the harshest environments on the planet and have done so for about 55 million years. Artist Adam Swanson features penguins in his paintings quite frequently. Often in a sort of whimsical scene, standing atop of a goat or riding a bike. Aside from Adam’s fantastic artwork, which is on display all over Duluth at different restaurants and shops, he’s also been to Antarctica for four separate contracts and worked with penguins during his time there. He got to sit amongst them, hold them, interact with them and observe their quirkiness. (Side note: The author has a serious affinity for penguins) Thusly, they make up a hefty portion of Adam’s portfolio. And rightfully so. As do bicycles, varieties of wildlife, robots and other thought provoking scenes. Adam is also exceedingly humble, does not look his age and is a devoted father of a three year old boy.

MJ: How many years have you been painting seriously?
AS: I’d say for the last 7 or 8 years.  Over the years, I’ve tried to keep a regimen, 8 hours a day, 6 to 7 days a week.  It varies with my life. I’m still painting that much, sometimes more. But I’m a little more organized now.

MJ: What sort of subjects do you enjoy painting?
AS: I like bikes. I like things that are symbolic. Bicycles are a great symbol of human ingenuity. Almost everybody has a bike.  Penguins are great symbols too. They’re a symbol of Antarctica, a place that is very strong and massive but also very fragile. I used to paint a little bit of everything. But in recent years I’ve been focusing only on things that are very important to me symbolically.  Bikes, animals, penguins being the most popular themes. I like what they represent. You can take them as lightly or as heavily as you want them. They spark a little curiosity in people.

MJ: Do you find Duluth to be an artist friendly community?
AS: Oh yes. I grew up in St. Paul. Lived in New York for awhile. Went to Antarctica. I traveled a lot in my 20s. I returned to Duluth because it’s this friendly, hip little lakeside town. It’s amazing how much art is going on here. All these little galleries and venues opening up.

MJ: Where can people see more of your work?
AS: The best place would be my website, adamswanson.com. Everything is fairly organized by tags and shows.  Also, Lizzard’s Gallery and Blue Lake Gallery in Duluth.

MJ: What inspires you?
AS: The content is the most important part of my painting. I like impressionists like Vincent Van Gogh. I like to have some sort of reason to make a painting. Like bikes. Bikes are really beautiful little machines. Bikes should be promoted. A lot of my paintings are fraught with symbols.

MJ: What fascinates you as a person and as an artist?
AS: I’m fascinated by humans, how they live in the world and how much of an impact people have on the world. The human’s presence in the natural world interests me. Personally, I love travel and nature.

MJ: What in god’s name were you doing in Antarctica?
AS: I have cumulatively spent almost two years in Antarctica. The first time I went was as a carpenter’s helper. Everyone is there for science, and scientists need people to install equipment, build buildings, cook food, that sort of thing. There is a wide array of fascinating research going on down there. At the most recent station I was the boating coordinator and some of the scientists studied penguins. Penguins are funny and dirty and stinky and loud. You see them pecking each other and stepping on each other’s kids. They’re not too afraid of people. I was lucky to be able to pick them up and measure their beaks and wings. For science. They’re so cool. It was a great experience.