By Sydney Ritter | Scottsdale Arts
Drawing parallels between natural phenomena and present-day concerns, “Casey Curran: Tidal Sky,” opening at Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art on Oct. 11, asks what remains when structures collapse — and what new beginnings emerge in their wake.
“Tidal Sky” will occupy two galleries, one featuring an immersive installation inspired by Théodore Géricault’s 1818 painting “The Raft of the Medusa.” That larger-than-life-size paisnting — depicting a moment from the aftermath of the wreck of the French naval frigate Méduse — serves as inspiration for a space Curran will creatse for visitors to step into the artwork.
“The signs and signifiers depicted in Gericault’s ‘The Raft of the Medusa’ resonate with my ongoing interests as an artist — the way it captures desperation, survival and hope all in a single moment,” Ms. Curran said.
“The figures are shown trapped between death and deliverance, and there is a perspective that can be read into the emotion of these bodies that feels ever more timely. I’m creating something that can become both fragile and robust, contingent on the changing winds.”
Through a contemporary lens, this exhibition explores themes of survival, historical cycles and the quiet persistence of hope. Ms. Curran said the work navigates the tension between beauty and decay, placing viewers within a tableau of survival.
Ms. Curran said current events from the past several years shaped much of this narrative, including climate anxiety, political uncertainty and the pandemic. In “Tidal Sky,” Ms. Curran is endeavoring to create something that hovers over these concerns and possibly charts a path away from ruin.
“I want visitors to feel unsettled at first, like they’ve walked into the middle of a story that’s still unfolding,” she said. “There’s no fixed narrative beyond the competing elements, but I hope the work creates space for personal reflection, especially around our current uncertainties.”
The immersive aspect is key to Curran, who wants viewers to not just observe survival but be surrounded by it. It’s the physical closeness of the installation that will let the themes land more viscerally.
Julie Ganas, curator of engagement and digital initiatives for SMoCA, understood the importance of this as the curator of the exhibition. And it informed how the second gallery will be installed and experienced.
“The other gallery will highlight Casey’s kinetic work on a more intimate scale,” Ms. Ganas said. “Many of the artworks will have a hand crank, which introduces an interactive component by inviting visitors to create the movement in the sculpture.”
Ms. Curran is also known for his kinetic wearable sculptures. His continued collaboration with couture designer Iris van Herpen has brought his work to multiple Paris Fashion Weeks and Met Galas, including the lotus-butterfly kinetic dress worn by Mona Patel at last year’s event. Ganas appreciates the thoughtfulness that goes into each of Curran’s ornate creations.
“There’s something hauntingly beautiful about Casey’s work,” Ms. Ganas said. “It causes you to slow down and soak in the intricate details and mechanics. The subtle movement breathes life into his artwork, inviting viewers to come closer and be curious.”
However attendees interact and interpret the artwork, even if someone leaves with a different meaning than intended, Curran will feel successful as an artist. He is interested in ambiguity — in creating space for multiple truths to coexist. That’s especially important with an exhibition like “Tidal Sky,” which is about drifting, surviving and possibly beginning again.
“There’s a lot of precarious indicators signaling impending collapse in the world right now, but I’m interested in how we deal with these moments and enjoy speculating about what could possibly come after,” Ms. Curran said. “‘Tidal Sky’ suggests that endings aren’t absolute. What falls apart might also become material for something new: a scaffold for the future to be built around.”
