Modus Vivendi

In the series "Piaculum", Casey moved away from the kinetic side of his work to look more specifically at atomizing power of analysis. It is ambiguous; it is claimed by some who believe in holistic views, but some who are highly analytical believe it is best to examine things in their smaller detail.

In Modus Vivendi, “Curran categorized and duplicated the entire pelt of a wood duck with over 1,300 brass feathers, individually cut and scored. The replicated feathers are assembled in a beautiful abstract form and placed alongside the individually suspended feathers of the pelt. From a purely aesthetic standpoint, the work is striking, but this way of displaying the material shell of a creature broken into its myriad constituent parts is a haunting and novel reflection on our physical nature. It is certainly ambiguous; the message of it might be claimed by those who believe in a holistic approach to our view of the body, and just as easily claimed by those who are deeply analytical and prefer to view everything in its constituent parts. The silent, imploding metal duck does not provide answers either way” (O 2012).