American artist Aaron Curry is in demand: CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain in Bordeaux is giving him his first major solo show at a French institution, which also coincides with an exhibition of his paintings at Michael Werner Gallery in London (until 9 August); he will be included in “The Los Angeles Project” at the Ullens Center for Contemporary Art in Beijing, China, and a show of his works will occupy both spaces of David Kordansky Gallery in Spring 2015. Born in San Antonio, Texas, Curry studied in Chicago and in Los Angeles where he still resides.Known Primarily for his large, flashy sculptures made of painted wood and aluminum, Curry’s work is a puzzling exploration of popular culture as well as consumerism, and it features a rather dense range of aesthetic references — from graffiti and comics to Cubism and Pop Art. The artist has managed to create a satisfyingly saturated visual language, distinct to Los Angeles’s art scene. This is not too surprising given that Curry studied with the late artist Mike Kelley, although some of his most apparent influences spring from modernist artists such as Picasso, Calder and Miró. Curated by Alexis Vaillant, the CAPC exhibition “Bad Brain” comprises over one hundred works, including sculptures, collages, paintings and multi-media installations. Perhaps it will bring a bit of Californian madness to the old French province. (Benoit Loiseau)
Aaron Curry’s solo exhibition “Bad Brain” at CAPC, Bordeaux, runs through September 21
