Concrete

66 x 23.5” ‡‡ Iron / Wood / Aluminum / Neodymium Magnets

Rare-earth magnets are among Curran’s favorite materials to use in his art: both a steady force from deep within the ground that lends energy to the work, and a non-renewable resource that serves as a reminder of our shortsighted planetary stewardship. The energy field generated by the magnets can be felt particularly strongly in “Concrete,” where it is amplified by the iron trowels. Here, in concert with the tools, the magnets take on another meaning: strength in flexibility, holding the trowels beyond gravity’s reach but allowing them to be pulled, moved, and used when the time of need is at hand. To Curran, “Concrete” is a companion piece of sorts to “A Leveling”: an ode to the inner strength that attracts us, grounds us, and allows us to use the tools at our disposal to build ourselves and our lives the ways we see fit.