Whirls of Uncertainty: Houses in Mid-Air
Amy Casey’s intricate acrylic paintings captivate you with houses spiraling through the air alongside flying debris. These scenes challenge your perception: are these homes diminutive, or are their surroundings immense? This tension anchors Casey’s work, reflecting a world drowned in information and besieged by issues like politics, war, and climate change. “It’s hard to process everything without feeling powerless,” she explains. “Sometimes life just feels like a neverending shriek.”
Her meticulous artworks range from six inches to several feet, often depicting familiar Cleveland structures. Catapulting through mind-bending spaces, these buildings shed pieces of themselves. “The world seems stranger every day,” Casey notes. “Painting it literally falling apart helps me navigate life daily. Imagining towns in worse-case scenarios acknowledges reality but also offers hope for change.”
Nature’s Grip: Houses on Fungi and Trees
Recently, Casey has gravitated towards nature, coupling houses with surreal landscapes of delicate mushrooms and massive tree stumps. Though decay is present, there’s also a sense of renewal. Her paintings illustrate homes that have spun from chaos into new lands, symbolic of resilience despite adversity. “How does one live atop an oyster mushroom?” she provocatively asks.
Explore how Julian Baumgartner’s Chicago studio revives damaged artworks, a process resonating with Amy Casey’s themes of renewal.
Casey adds, “We’ve all felt the world turn upside down, trying to regain our footing amidst unsettling change. These paintings reflect that experience, capturing survival and resilience in turbulent times.” Despite appearing whimsical, these aren’t mere fantasy settings. They are tough remnants of a world poised on the edge.
Discover the detailed abstraction in Andrew McIntosh’s worlds of fire and shadow, where narrative tension mirrors Casey’s apocalyptic themes.
Her work is now featured in a group exhibition at the Brassworks Gallery in Portland until June 6, and at Zg Gallery in Chicago. She’s preparing for an upcoming show at Maria Neil Art Project in Cleveland this September. Stay updated through her Instagram.
Source: thisiscolossal.com