Dave Casey

January 15, 2007 + zoom	January 20, 2007 + zoom	January 22, 2007 + zoom	January 28, 2007 + zoom
January 31, 2007 + zoom	Basho’s Haiku + zoom	Diagram, Square the Circle + zoom	Dots with Feather + zoom
Eclipse + zoom	Guest House + zoom	See Beyond Blue + zoom	It fell here + zoom
Just See Me + zoom	Learning to Tell-Stories + zoom	Locator + zoom	Lotus + zoom
Orchid + zoom	Red Stairs + zoom	Seven and a Rose Bud + zoom	Shadow on a Wall + zoom
Take It Lightly + zoom	The distance between + zoom	The Waiting Boat + zoom	Breathe into the Fire + zoom
Flower Sermon + zoom	Identity + zoom	Map Home + zoom	Single Stone + zoom

What is your artwork about (underlying concept, focus, themes, intent, etc)?

My art is an attempt to find a place to stand and create an identity. It is a slow, quiet conversation about how a painting might work and how that painting might inform a way of life. It is a meditation on how colour, shape, and texture fit together. My art is an internal dialogue made visible.

What informs your artwork or what are your influences?

Seeing, reading, talking, experiencing the last painting, the next human, the interior dialogue, everything. I do not wish to seem glib about the question however for me it is all information. Some information is strong, some weak, some known, some unknown. What informs the work is what I pay attention to.

What matters to you most about the work that you do?

Doing the work. How it is seen in the world is interesting, however, where the activity takes me is more important.

Do you feel you need to position your work within the context of art history and if so what's your take on that?

No, I don't fit the work into art history but it is good to know the making of the paintings is part of a large tradition.

Is there a trigger or a starting point for each piece?

Yes there is a trigger for many of the pieces, from "oh I need one more for the show" to "there is an interesting configuration of colours, shapes, textures, how can I use that", or "how can I use that idea thought or feeling in my art".

How has your work evolved over the last five years?

I would like to say the work has evolved, whether it has or not that is for someone else to say. I will say that the object and the abstract are more connected than they where five years ago, and I feel more confident with the process of painting. Now the issue is making the "right" choices for each work.

How does your physical/geographical environment inform the work you do?

The light here in Alberta is different from the light found where I grew up (Northern California). Here the light is harder and crisper than the moist air near San Francisco. Having said that, most of my art making has been done here in Calgary and it would be interesting to see how a different physical/geographical location might change that.

What mediums, techniques, or processes are involved in your art making (and why these)?

I've used acrylic paint for my entire painting career because it is low odor and I've always had a studio in my home. During the last few years I have added digital manipulation of images and photo media to the work.

What are your other passions in life and how have these influenced your work?

See all of this. It is all interesting and it all influences my art. For me the art and the life do not separate, they are the one thing.

Why are you an artist?

I'll turn that to you, and ask you this question. How do you know you are alive? What do you hold valuable in your experience on the planet? When I went into grade 11 I made a decision to do art, I had no idea where that would lead, it lead here. Where else might I go?

Education/Professional Experience

• Master of Applied Art Montana State University 1973 Jewellery with a minor in Painting
• Currently an instructor at the Alberta College of Art & Design

Selected Exhibitions

• "Where would the Buddha sit?" Artspace Gallery Calgary Alberta. November 2004
• "Learning to tell stories" Prairie Gallery, Grande Prairie Alberta December 2005

Memberships

• Alberta Children's Hospital Art Advisory Committee
• Alberta Society of Artists Councilor at large on the Provincial Council

Publications

• Significant commissions and collections
• "Where would the Buddha sit" Painting for the Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium 2003