Yellow Bird Boy
Aaron Curry
2010
Powder coated aluminum
Donated by the Bloom Family in 2023
Where is it located in the garden?
Sagebrush Steppe Garden
More about
Aaron Curry
• Los Angeles-based artist renowned for his dynamic sculptures that merge modernist abstraction with influences from comic books, science fiction, and skate culture. His works often feature bold, colorful forms that oscillate between abstraction and anthropomorphism, reflecting a playful yet critical engagement with 20th-century art history.
• Curry’s Yellow Bird Boy was showcased as part of a broader reimagining of figurative sculpture —abstracted, bold, playful, and monumental in form. The exhibition intended to contrast traditional monuments with fresh, expressive reinterpretations of the human figure.
OVERVIEW
• Abstraction of human/bird form; blends pop-cultural energy, humor, biomorphic abstraction.
• It's a brightly colored, powder-coated aluminum sculpture, part of a series of abstract, animalistic figures. The piece is known for its playful and engaging design, often described as leaping out at viewers. It has been displayed in various public spaces, including City Hall Park in New York.
•The sculpture is characterized by its abstract form and vibrant colors, typical of Curry's style. It features a playful, almost cartoonish design, with a figure that appears to be interacting with a bird. The use of powder-coated aluminum gives it a smooth, durable surface and contributes to its bright, saturated colors.
STYLE & ARTISTIC APPROACH
• Curry is known for merging sculpture, painting, and collage—embracing pop references, biomorphic abstraction, and vivid color. His works often occupy that space between sci-fi-ish forms and folk-art sensibility, with a wry sense of humor and self-awareness.
• Yellow Bird Boy exemplifies his approach: a simplified, bold abstracted figure that evokes a bird-like character or mythical hybrid. The neon yellow evokes both playground energy and surreal cartoon absurdity.
• Curry's artistic practice encompasses sculpture, painting, drawing, and collage. He draws inspiration from a diverse range of sources, including Pablo Picasso, Isamu Noguchi, Jean Dubuffet, and David Smith, as well as elements from popular culture such as comic books and skateboarding. His work is characterized by its vibrant colors, organic forms, and a sense of humor, often playing with titles and repeated imagery.
MAJOR PUBLIC INSTALLATIONS & EXHIBITIONS
• McNay Art Museum, San Antonio, TX (2019)
• deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum, Lincoln, MA (2017–2021)
• Bass Museum of Art, Miami, FL (2018)
• Rubell Family Collection, Miami, FL (2014)
• CAPC Musée d’Art Contemporain de Bordeaux, France (2014)
• Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, New York, NY (2013)
• High Museum of Art, Atlanta, GA (2012)
“Curry, who hails from San Antonio, Texas, is known for his vividly colored sculptures. He was heavily influenced by Pablo Picasso and Joan Miro. Hence, his biomorphic shapes and surrealistic pop art.”
“This particular sculpture is a response to Alexander Calder’s abstract mobile sculptures”, said Poole, “and it’s designed for someone to walk around to look at all the angles.”
“You’re supposed to walk around and see the long droopy dog ears, the jowls, what could be fish fins…” she said. “Curry was into ‘Scooby-doo’ and other cartoons as a youngster, and so it’s fun and wonderful and I think kids will have a lot of fun trying to figure out what it looks like from various angles.” (Eye on SV, May 2023)