Casey byrnes
Born 1956, Osage, Iowa
Has practiced at Creative Growth since 2013
Casey Byrnes’ work exists at two ends of a spectrum - one abstract, the other highly figurative and sensational. His watercolor and acrylic paintings are a practice in experimentation and formal process, often in rainbow tones. He explores new techniques within a medium and focuses on the process of creation rather than the final image. The resulting abstract configurations of color create a pleasant sense of movement. His ceramics and wood sculptures portray nude men and are intended to create reaction from the viewer. His infamous “penis planters” depict a nude male from the waist down, his belly hollowed out into a vessel and his penis configured for drainage. His upside-down nudes read like slightly absurd atlantes, expressing no effort in their potential function as a pillar. These anatomically-specific figures convey Byrnes’ wry sense of humor and allow him to explore themes of desire. Very skilled in textiles, Byrnes began in braiding and knitting and quickly moved on to innovative and complex Saori weaving designs. He translates these into dramatic capes and caftans worn on the runway at Creative Growth’s annual Beyond Trend fashion show.
El trabajo de Casey Byrnes existe en dos extremos de un espectro - uno abstracto, el otro altamente figurativo y sensacional. Sus pinturas en acuarela y acrílico son una práctica en experimentación y proceso formal, a menudo en tonos de arcoíris. Explora nuevas técnicas dentro de un medio y se enfoca en el proceso de creación más que en la imagen final. Las configuraciones abstractas de color resultantes crean una agradable sensación de movimiento. Sus esculturas de cerámica y madera retratan a hombres desnudos y tienen la intención de crear una reacción en el espectador. Sus infames "plantadores de pene" representan a un hombre desnudo de cintura para abajo, con el vientre ahuecado en un recipiente y el pene configurado para el drenaje. Sus desnudos invertidos se leen como atlantes ligeramente absurdos, sin expresar ningún esfuerzo en su función potencial como pilar. Estas figuras anatómicamente específicas transmiten el irónico sentido del humor de Byrnes y le permiten explorar temas de deseo. Byrnes, muy hábil con los textiles, comenzó trenzando y tejiendo y rápidamente pasó a los innovadores y complejos diseños de tejido de Saori. Él los traduce en capas dramáticas y caftanes que se usan en la pasarela del desfile de moda Beyond Trend anual de Creative Growth.
ABOUT CASEY BYRNES’ WINDOW INSTALLATION FOR THE 2023 HOME SHOW
Nestled in the backdrop of majestic purple, Casey Byrne's hand-selected collection of acrylic and watercolor paintings, ceramics, burnished organic designs on wooden furniture, and weavings woven on the Saori loom demonstrate the breadth of the artist's mastery. Central to the composition is Casey's signature jacket in multicolored horizontal stripes, which adorns a half-scale dress form. Woven from recycled sari silk yarn, Casey's passion for texture and color comes forth in the chosen material for the garment. Similarly, the weavings hung to the far left and right of the box incorporate upcycled fabric and plastic bags. In the background, large-scale watercolor portraits with hair in vibrant hues reckon back to the artist's flamboyant days as a drag queen. Like a rainbow dissolving into a waterfall, the painted silk panel to the far right recalls the memories of the grandeur and beauty of Yosemite. Casey's appreciation for the natural world and whimsical playfulness come forth in the busts with bulging eyes bearing markings in the torso of the artist and unique touch elongated nails. An unabashed adoration and appreciation of the male anatomy is reflected in the clay pottery on the bottom left and painted silhouette on a pink background tucked into the right innermost wall of the window box. With a nod to Casey's craftsmanship, a wooden garment rack burnished with the artist's organic designs displays textiles in a vibrant interlocking weaving of vibrantly colored threads. Lights flowing through the installation illuminate and give dimension to the woven pieces. A disco ball that cascades its light from above the window box fuses together the artist's past, present, future, and transports us into the fantastic world of Casey Byrne. A deaf plus artist tells us, “I'm Casey! I can't hear or speak, but I have sharp, shiny eyes. I am proud that I am good. I am good and beautiful… When I create, it feels like I am dreaming. My mind connects with art.”
PRESS
2020
SquareCylinder
2019
San Francisco Chronicle
Hyperallergic
2018
Art21
HonestlyWTF
2017
Huffington Post
SELECTED EXHIBITIONS
2019
The Creative Commons, ArtYard, Frenchtown