The SWDN exhibition, staged as part of this year’s Swindon Arts Fringe festival, brought together a collection of artwork inspired by the places, people and stories that have shaped the town.
Curated and featuring work by Swindon graphic artist Jake Dempsey, the exhibition moves away from traditional promotional imagery in favour of prints, paintings, photography, collages, zines and digital artwork that reflect Swindon’s character.
Speaking to Swindon24, Jake said the idea developed after exploring the town’s extensive archives while considering how Swindon is viewed today.
He said:
“What inspired me to put this collection together was looking through Swindon’s archival history, of which there’s a lot, and also the perception that Swindon has in the modern day, and trying to put a contemporary spin on those expectations, while also referencing our heritage and bringing it into a new modern life.”
The collection features references to well-known locations, people and moments from across the town, combining local history with contemporary graphic design.
Among the exhibits is a piece titled Guns of Swindon, inspired by an archival photograph taken outside the former Tent Market shortly after it opened in the 1990s. The image showed a cowboy impersonator standing outside the building.
The exhibition uses high-contrast colours alongside collage, paint, printmaking and stencil work to create distinctive pieces.
Jake said his influences include graphic artists Jimmy Turrell and Kris Ashworth, but explained that he also wanted to move away from relying solely on digital design by returning to hands-on techniques such as cutting, sticking, painting and screen printing.
Many of the larger works began as physical collages before being recreated on a larger scale by hand, while others remain mixed-media collages finished with spray paint and stencil lettering.
Jake hopes the exhibition will also encourage people to think differently about Swindon itself.
He said:
“I think one of the crucial problems Swindon faces is its long-standing rougher reputation, which I don’t think is entirely fair.
“I think there’s a lot of culture to be found in Swindon. It just takes a little bit of time exploring and finding that, and it’s a good thing that it’s getting better and better, and more and more open.”
Asked what artistic change he would make to the Magic Roundabout, Jake suggested the surrounding walls could instead become a permanent outdoor gallery featuring large-scale murals for passing motorists to enjoy.
He added:
“I think more and more people are inclined to spend their time here and help contribute to the culture that’s here, both in visual art, but also music and things like that as well.”
The exhibition forms part of this year’s Swindon Arts Fringe festival and highlights both the town’s best-known landmarks and lesser-known moments from its past, offering visitors a different perspective on Swindon’s identity.
