SWOON AT NEW ORLEANS MUSEUM OF ART

New York-based street artist Swoon (Caledonia Curry), whose large-scale wheat-pasted posters and prints have appeared in public places from as far as Europe to as close as Bywater, unveils her umbrella-like installation Thalassa at the New Orleans Museum of Art this week.

From the museum
June 10 - September 25, 2011
Swoon: Thalassa

Swoon's "Thalassa" transforms NOMA's Great Hall

On Friday, June 10, the New Orleans Museum of Art unveils a new large scale, site-specific installation by the internationally renowned artist Swoon. This installation, entitled Thalassa, is named for and inspired by the Greek goddess of the sea. The work began with a careful examination of NOMA's Great Hall and was specifically designed for the space. Thalassa will be on display until September 25.

The twenty-foot tall piece depicts a monumental female deity with extended tentacles rising from the waters, her body comprised of colorful swathes of fabric and aquatic creatures. The work is made of an enormous reinforced linocut enhanced with prints and paper cutouts.

"As an artist known for intricate and evocative work both in gallery spaces and in the streets, Swoon was an ideal artist for NOMA to engage with," said Miranda Lash, Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art. "Her installation invigorates our Great Hall with powerful imagery, and positions the museum as a window to artistic currents flowing outside our doors. Swoon has a talent for transforming the everyday into the mythical."

Swoon's installation of Thalassa was inspired by New Orleans' ties to the sea. New Orleans depends on water for commerce, transportation, energy, and food. The installation is named after the Greek goddess revered as the mother of all sea creatures. The octopus motif also links the piece to New Orleans' legendary red-light district, Storyville, where denizens of its brothels were likened to many-armed creatures separating sailors from their money. The piece thus connects to both New Orleans' past and present, as well as its complex and deep history as a port city.

Main Image via sashaygrunge
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