When American artist John August Swanson died in September 2021, he left an extensive body of artwork focusing on social justice issues, religious themes, and everyday activities. The Theo Arts Gallery, Boston University School of Theology, notes, “His art reflects the strong heritage of storytelling he inherited from his Mexican mother and Swedish father. John August Swanson’s narrative is direct and easily understood. He addresses human values, cultural roots, and a quest for self-discovery through visual images.” His artwork is housed in collections at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of American History, National American Art Museum, and National Air and Space Museum; the Art Institute of Chicago; Tate Gallery (UK); the Vatican Museums’ Collection of Modern Religious Art; and Emory University’s Candler School of Theology.Swanson painted with oils, watercolors, and acrylics; created lithographs and etchings; and made colorful, detailed serigraphs—an artists’ term for silkscreen painting. According to Emory University’s Pitts Theology Library, “These serigraphs necessitate an advanced level of technical acumen and typically feature 30 to 60 separate colors, each of which requires a separate stencil drawn by the artist. Swanson’s elaborate serigraph process results in pieces that have unique textures and colors that are characteristic of his mastery of this medium.”Swanson’s The Carousel, this month’s cover image, is a vibrant serigraph depicting the popular amusement ride—sometimes also called a merry-go-round—and illustrating a certain association and interaction between humans and animals. It is a dizzying, complex spectacle imbued with 29 distinct colors and intricate patterns that may be missed without scrutiny.