At CPCC gallery, Cassidy’s sculptures evoke the sound of everything

Art inspired by sound is hard to pull off – it can easily become sappy or too literal.

But Shaun Cassidy’s vivid, powder-coated steel sculptures succeed because they are primal.

Many of these sculptures are about music.

Although several vaguely resemble actual instruments, some of the best ones – including “Violin,” “Fiddle,” and “Snare” – are sheer explosions of movement and sound.

In other works, Cassidy, a professor of art at Winthrop University, evokes the awe and fear that natural events have inspired through time.

“Big Bang,” a circular piece etched with lightning-like zigzags, brings forth associations of origin stories and the innate need for creative experience.

In the side gallery is a single work, “Gathering Storm,” which is reminiscent of Cassidy’s earlier sculptures featuring bashed and abraded metal. This ominous piece is a perfect complement to the sculptures in the main gallery.

The sculptures are on welded bases that looks like worktables – acknowledging the fact that, despite their elegance, they incorporate common labor, using industrial finishes and processes.

This story was originally published April 2, 2015 at 10:17 AM with the headline "At CPCC gallery, Cassidy’s sculptures evoke the sound of everything."