Swoon
“Not to say that I do not think legal murals are good, but the only way to be truly free is to be outside of the limitations of the law; outside of the laws of commerce as well. Legal walls are fine, exhibitions are fine, but there has to always be a current of totally spontaneous unsanctioned expression running through our lives. This is the place where the truth will be told.”
Interview by Dmytro Desiateryk, Day Kiev, September 2011.
Caledonia Dance Curry, aka Swoon, was born in 1978 in Connecticut but grew up in Florida in a world of marshes and fishermen. At 19 she moved to New York and studied painting and printmaking at the Pratt Institute.
Out of school, she developed her own technique of linoleum block etchings, which she then prints to paper and works over with acrylic. Her collages are placed in streets, becoming ephemeral public works.
Swoon is particularly influenced by German expressionists such as Egon Schile and Alphonse Mucha, but also by Indonesian shadow puppetry, her many travels and the artist Gordon Matta-Clark, the result of which is a rich palette of fine and poetic portraits.
Even though she continues to exhibit her work in the street, Swoon has gained international recognition since 2005. Swoon has exhibited at the Tate Modern in London, forms part of the MoMA collection in New York and has participated at the Venice Biennale in 2009.
“Not to say that I do not think legal murals are good, but the only way to be truly free is to be outside of the limitations of the law; outside of the laws of commerce as well. Legal walls are fine, exhibitions are fine, but there has to always be a current of totally spontaneous unsanctioned expression running through our lives. This is the place where the truth will be told.”
Interview by Dmytro Desiateryk, Day Kiev, September 2011.
Caledonia Dance Curry, alias Swoon, est née en 1978 dans le Connecticut mais a grandi en Floride dans un univers de marais et de pêcheurs. A 19 ans, elle déménage à New York et étudie la peinture et la gravure au sein du Pratt Institute.
Sortie des études, elle développe sa technique personnelle en gravant sur du linoleum, qu’elle imprime ensuite sur papier pour enfin le rehausser d’acrylique. Au final, ses collages sont placés en rue, devenant ainsi des œuvres publiques éphémères.
Swoon est particulièrement influencée par les expressionnistes allemands tels que Egon Schiele et Alphonse Mucha, mais aussi par les marionnettes d’ombre indonésiennes, ses nombreux voyages ainsi que l’artiste Gordon Matta-Clark. Il ressort de son travail toute une palette de portraits fins et poétiques.
Si elle continue à exposer dans la rue, Swoon est depuis 2005 reconnue internationalement. Elle a entre autres exposé à la Tate Modern de Londres, est présente dans les collections du MoMA de New York et a participé en 2009 à la Biennale de Venise.
“Not to say that I do not think legal murals are good, but the only way to be truly free is to be outside of the limitations of the law; outside of the laws of commerce as well. Legal walls are fine, exhibitions are fine, but there has to always be a current of totally spontaneous unsanctioned expression running through our lives. This is the place where the truth will be told.”
Interview by Dmytro Desiateryk, Day Kiev, September 2011.
Caledonia Dance Curry, gekend onder de naam Swoon, is geboren in 1978 in Connecticut, maar groeide op in Florida, omringd door moerassen en vissers. Toen ze 19 was, verhuisde ze naar New York en studeerde ze schilderkunst en gravure aan het Pratt Institute.
Eenmaal afgestudeerd ontwikkelde ze haar eigen techniek van linoleumsnede, die ze dan op papier printte en gewerkt met acrylverf. Haar collages worden in de straat geplaatst en worden zo efemere, publieke kunst.
Swoon is vooral beïnvloed door de Duitse expressionisten zoals Egon Schile en Alphonse Mucha, maar ook door het Indonesische schaduwspel, haar vele reizen en de kunstenaar Gordon Matta-Clark. Het resultaat van die invloeden is een rijk palet aan delicate en poëtische portretten.
Ook al blijft ze eerst en vooral een straatkunstenaar, Swoon heeft sinds 2005 internationale faam verworven. Haar werk werd tentoongesteld in het Tate Modern in Londen, maakt deel uit van de MoMA collectie in New York en in 2009 nam ze deel aan de Biënnale van Venetië.
