Artist Statement:
Speculative narratives in woodcut explore who we are in the age of the internet and imagine what we may become as the dawn of the posthuman era approaches. I am interested in the surge of relationships with technology and the recession of face-to-face interaction. Like our changing notions of intimacy, privacy, and friendship, our ideas of identity, sentience, death, and life may become irresolute due to advances in computation technology. Essential is a willing suspension of disbelief combined with the freedom to speculate and invent, as well as a desire to help the universe be cool. I draw from the traditions of printmaking, punk, zine culture, science fiction and fandom; I see each as a prime example of print media’s democratising nature, each with their own subculture rich in community, ephemera, shared knowledge and specific language. These genres can be intimidating to the uninitiated but I see them as having, even in their most overly technical, abrasive, or fantastic forms, as having an inherent verisimilitude.
The subjects in my work struggle with unfamiliar ethics, self-imposed disconnections and new solitudes. They exist after the dawn of the post-human age, though they may exist in separate universes and throughout multiple timelines. Their corporeal bodies are artificial substrates tailored just for them. Translucent layers of ink and both varied and repetitious mark-making make for imagery that feels naturally evolved, as if these entire worlds are made of the same stuff. Sometimes the grain of the wood flows through the image, sometimes it is a red-shifting wavelength or a corrupted signal, each one referencing the real-world systems used to communicate and hopefully hinting at other hidden wave patterns made visible.
Speculative narratives in woodcut explore who we are in the age of the internet and imagine what we may become as the dawn of the posthuman era approaches. I am interested in the surge of relationships with technology and the recession of face-to-face interaction. Like our changing notions of intimacy, privacy, and friendship, our ideas of identity, sentience, death, and life may become irresolute due to advances in computation technology. Essential is a willing suspension of disbelief combined with the freedom to speculate and invent, as well as a desire to help the universe be cool. I draw from the traditions of printmaking, punk, zine culture, science fiction and fandom; I see each as a prime example of print media’s democratising nature, each with their own subculture rich in community, ephemera, shared knowledge and specific language. These genres can be intimidating to the uninitiated but I see them as having, even in their most overly technical, abrasive, or fantastic forms, as having an inherent verisimilitude.
The subjects in my work struggle with unfamiliar ethics, self-imposed disconnections and new solitudes. They exist after the dawn of the post-human age, though they may exist in separate universes and throughout multiple timelines. Their corporeal bodies are artificial substrates tailored just for them. Translucent layers of ink and both varied and repetitious mark-making make for imagery that feels naturally evolved, as if these entire worlds are made of the same stuff. Sometimes the grain of the wood flows through the image, sometimes it is a red-shifting wavelength or a corrupted signal, each one referencing the real-world systems used to communicate and hopefully hinting at other hidden wave patterns made visible.
Artist Bio:
Patrick Casey earned his Bachelors in Fine Art from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Printmaking and a Masters in Fine Arts specializing in Printmaking with a secondary concentration in Sculpture from the University of Iowa. His work has been shown nationally and internationally. He was a recipient of the Genevieve McMillan / Reba Stewart Travelling Fellowship in Printmaking, the Wilhelm and Jane Bodine Fellowship and an Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of Iowa. Patrick has instructed printmaking courses at The University of Iowa, Skidmore College, Lesley University and Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
Patrick Casey earned his Bachelors in Fine Art from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in Printmaking and a Masters in Fine Arts specializing in Printmaking with a secondary concentration in Sculpture from the University of Iowa. His work has been shown nationally and internationally. He was a recipient of the Genevieve McMillan / Reba Stewart Travelling Fellowship in Printmaking, the Wilhelm and Jane Bodine Fellowship and an Outstanding Teaching Award at the University of Iowa. Patrick has instructed printmaking courses at The University of Iowa, Skidmore College, Lesley University and Massachusetts College of Art and Design.
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