wade kavanaugh + stephen b. nguyen install immersive tidal wave of wood at CMCA

maine-based artists wade kavanaugh & stephen b. nguyen have installed a large-scale immersive tidal wave made out of wood at the center for maine contemporary art. the massive installation takes up the entirety of the museum’s gallery and invites users to navigate the art piece through a path that sometimes crashes into the walls, contributing to the experience of the work as a whole. the duo, known for their paper installations, has taken a step away from this material and one into the world of wood.

all images by david clough

‘this work is a departure for us in two ways,’ comment kavanaugh & stephen b. nguyen. ‘we began collaborating in 2005 and all of our previous works have been made of paper (this piece is made entirely of wood). second, it is the first time in one of our installations that the path through the piece has become an active element. our goal was to find a way to translate the visual language we have developed in paper to a new material, but the impact of incorporating the pathway into the work was a surprise.’

dubbed hubris, atë, nemesis, the installation draws inspiration from maine’s rugged coastal landscape and the tradition of artists who have explored the interplay of its natural forces, people and built environment. its name derives from greek tragedies where hubris, characterized as an arrogant confidence, transforms to atë, a ruinous folly or madness, then ultimately to nemesis, a force of retribution that resets the natural order.

‘the viewer is made aware of the movement of the artwork through their own movement over the undulating boardwalk,’ the duo continues. ‘by unifying this relationship between the “path” and the “piece,” the viewer is completely immersed in the work, removing the layer of separation between art and viewer.’

project info:

author: wade kavanaugh and stephen b. nguyen

name: hubris, atë, nemesis

location: center for maine contemporary art