Shark Girl | Albright-Knox

Visitors pose with Casey Riordan Millard's Shark Girl, 2013—part of the Albright-Knox's Public Art Initiative—at Canalside Buffalo. Photograph by Tom Loonan.

Casey Riordan Millard

American, born 1973

Shark Girl , 2013

Painted fiberglass

Public Art Collection of the Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Gift of A. Conger Goodyear, by exchange and Product of the Public Art Initiative partnership with Erie County and the City of Buffalo, 2014

Currently On View

Location: Canalside Buffalo (Get Directions)

Shark Girl is the absurd, hilarious, and bittersweet creation of artist Casey Riordan Millard. While Shark Girl might appear sorrowful or lonely, there is also a comic element to this “fish out of water.” In Millard’s first public sculpture, Shark Girl patiently waits, legs daintily crossed, hands folded, for a companion to join her.

Appearing in nearly all of Millard’s paintings, drawings, and sculptures, Shark Girl was originally conceived as the artist reflected upon the existential conundrums of life, love, family, and loss. Shark Girl can be seen as Millard’s diversionary tactic or as her mechanism for confronting the challenges of contemporary life.

Shark Girl’s yearnings and desires for normalcy and acceptance trigger equal parts laughter and empathy. The boulder upon which she sits gives viewers an opportunity to bring the work to life by taking a seat and initiating a friendship—or taking a photo—with this bizarre half-shark, half-girl.

About Casey Riordan Millard

Casey Riordan Millard (American, born 1973) earned her BFA from Ohio University in 1994. Her work can be found in numerous public and private collections, including those of the Cincinnati Art Museum, the University of Cincinnati, and Ohio University. Visit Casey Riordan Millard’s Website

Initiative Sponsors

The Public Art Initiative is supported by the County of Erie and the City of Buffalo.

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Outdoor Sculpture

The Albright-Knox has a number of sculptures on our campus. We invite you to explore these works anytime, whether you decide to come inside the museum or not.

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