Lesson 11, 1 November 2018
The Singapore Tyler Print Institute (STPI) is a creative workshop and gallery that curates contemporary art from all around the world. International artists are invited to collaborate with the in-house printing workshop to create their work from print and paper. Every year, 5-6 artists conduct research, create and sell artworks with the help of SPTI printmakers. This summer, Aaron Curry is invited to work with the team.
Aaron Curry: Fragments from a Collective Unity (2018)
Born in Austin, Texas, Aaron Curry (b. 1972) grew up in a poor family with no books to read. He spent most of his childhood skating outdoors. This part of his early life heavily influenced his current artworks: BMX bikes, skateboards, graffiti, neon colours.
Also a musician, Curry incorporated forms inspired by guitar to his illustration. You can also see his references to his favourite music (Canadian rock band The Kings) and movie (2001: A Space Odyssey). His work is both 2-dimensional and 3-dimensional at the same time, resembling Cubism works where illusional depth is created on 2D surface.
The last important motif in Curry’s work is biomorphic shapes of body parts. He translated personal fear and sadness into his work when his sickly wife had a liver and kidney transplant. You can interpret such references from the sharp objects cutting through bones and body parts.
Process of Curry’s production in STPI:
- Sketches on iPad and papers.
- Digitize final works and lasercut as stencils on plywood.
- Trace stencils on PVC board.
- Coat with paper pulp and spray paint.
- Screen print.
Watch Aaron Curry’s interview here:
Takeaways
Aaron Curry is able to create bold art not just from the provocative motifs and colours represented. It was bold because he embraces his personal experiences and cultural perspective of the world to his work. The meaning behind his work speaks dynamically raw to audiences.
From the interview above, Curry found himself using new approach to create his works while working with STPI. This resonates with our learning process in this class, where we push our aesthetic boundaries by challenging ourselves to use different materials every week.
Visit STPI:
Add: 41 Robertson Quay, Singapore 238236
Tel: 6336 3663
Email: stpi@stpi.com.sg
Sources:
https://www.stpi.com.sg/about/
https://www.stpi.com.sg/artists/aaron-curry/
Video: Aaron Curry: Fragments from a Collective Unity by STPI – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TxlylSVnifQ
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