Swoon's Brooklyn show returns to the familiar ground (and water)- idealized life size prints, & intricate cutouts creating an ethereal magical environment while attempting to build human links and political awareness.
Centered around a huge cosmic "tree of life" reaching into the infinity of the museum's domed roof she docks segments of her swimming cities raft projects.
The show does lack some of the gritty, earthy, street qualities that kept it from feeling trite. I also wish she included more videos explaining her projects.
"This week, Swoon, a 31-year-old Brooklyn artist whose name is Caledonia “Callie” Curry, is leading a waterborne invasion of the Venice Biennale (she didn’t bother to try to get in officially) with a crew of 30 artists, musicians, and miscreants in tow. Though they have raised some $150,000 for this crash party, the money won’t show in the boats they’ll travel in, because the boats are made of trash—a symbol of the freedom that comes with radical self-reliance, and one that is meant to effect change. “Throughout history, pranksters have been looking at fences and then pushing them aside,” Swoon has said (the name came to an ex-boyfriend in a dream, in which he imagined her future as a graffiti artist long before her career began). “Through action, you can move the perception. It’s almost like a magic trick.”"
Oh yes they are "Art Stars Now", but I think most of the root energy remains.
I think I always latched on to the anarchist,utopian nature of their projects, which are designed to push the border between what's possible,allowable, safe and unsafe. This line is where IMO, all true art lies as well as all real human progress and fun.
Will-it work? Will it float? Can we work together? Will we kill each other? Is it worth it? Will we die? Is it art? Is it Ugly? What is Ugly? Who says's so? Is it Beautiful? Who says's so? Is it finished? Is it ever finished? Is it about the journey? Is it about the destination? Is it just about us? Is it important? To me? To others? Who decides?
Obviously, in a world in which too many think the freedom to make these choices and decisions shouldn't be allowed- Swoon's gentle transgressions have become more and more special.
Posts
