Swoon (artist)
Swoon, born Caledonia Curry in 1977, is a Brooklyn-based contemporary artist primarily known for her large-scale wheatpaste prints and intricate paper cutouts applied to urban environments. Her work explores themes of community, resilience, and the ephemeral nature of existence, often reflecting personal experiences and observations of marginalized communities.
Swoon's artistic practice began in the late 1990s with street art installations in New York City. She became recognized for her depictions of life-size portraits, often drawn from photographs of friends, family, and individuals encountered in her travels. These figures, rendered in detailed linocut or woodblock prints, are pasted onto building facades, abandoned structures, and other public surfaces. The impermanence of wheatpaste aligns with Swoon's interest in exploring the fleeting nature of beauty and the effects of time and environmental factors on both art and life.
Beyond her street art, Swoon has exhibited in museums and galleries internationally, translating her aesthetic into more permanent installations. These often incorporate repurposed materials, intricate sculptural elements, and immersive environments that invite viewers to engage with the themes presented in her street work on a deeper level.
Significant projects include "Swimming Cities of Serenissima" (2009), a collaborative project involving the construction and navigation of floating sculptural rafts down the Grand Canal in Venice during the Venice Biennale; "Dithyrambalina" (2011), an immersive installation at the Brooklyn Museum; and "Submerged Motherlands" (2014), a monumental sculpture at the Brooklyn Museum reflecting on themes of climate change and displacement.
Swoon's work frequently incorporates social practice elements. She has collaborated with communities in Haiti and Braddock, Pennsylvania, to build sustainable housing and community spaces, further blurring the lines between art and social activism. Her efforts demonstrate a commitment to using her artistic platform to address pressing social issues and empower underserved populations.