JANUARY 25, 2020—MARCH 29, 2020

Escaping Earth: The Kinetic Work of Casey Curran captures the haunting beauty of human innovation and its aftermath through artwork that transports the viewer to another world. Seattle-based artist Casey Curran explores the complex psychological relationship humans have with nature, as well as their innate drive to escape mortality in search of life beyond Earth’s atmosphere. While humans colonize new frontiers and build monuments to mark their existence, Curran questions the overall cost of this quest for immortality and its ultimate impact on the environment. He comments, “We have created both beauty and desolation, defined only through the lens of our goals, and it is through this lens, this eye of the beholder, that I bring a seed of an idea to the audience.” 

In his kinetic sculptures, paintings, and immersive installations, Curran bridges the progress of the past with the future, drawing from nature, science fiction, and the concept of sacred geometry in religion. He pairs traditional metalsmithing techniques with new technologies, such as laser-cutting and 3D printing, to bring his creations to life, building upon a long history of automata. In his exploration of the impact humankind has on the world, Curran questions what Earth would look like if humans ceased to exist.

Photography

Images 1-2, 4-5, 8-10 by Adrian Garcia Rodriguez

Images 3, 6, 11-12 by Katy Anderson

Image 7 by Sarah Sudhoff