Pygmalion and Galatea

One fine day, Pygmalion carved the statue of a woman of unparalleled beauty. She looked so gentle and divine that he could not take his eyes off the statue. The spell the lifeless woman cast on him was too much to resist and he desired her for his wife. Countless were the nights and days he spent staring upon his creation… What had been cold ivory turned soft and warm and Pygmalion stood back in amazement as his beloved figurine came into life, smiling at him and speaking words of admiration for her creator.

Casey Gray

Wandering through the internet a few days or weeks ago, I happened upon Casey Gray. Initially, what caught my eye was his use of color–vibrant, expert, and in-your-face–but upon closer examination, and after having made my way through his website and portfolio, I found that there was a great deal more to Gray's work than color alone. Coupled with nearly flawless technique of aerosol enamels, acrylics, and glitter (!), is an imagery that belies its banality. Plants and post-its, sunglasses and children's blocks, shoelaces and construction paper, create works that are fully-formed, self-aware, and historically referential in a manner that skips over the derivative and into the masterful. I am captivated by both Gray's subject matter and his media.

Casey Gray, DNT WAY ME DWN, 2016 | Aerosol acrylic on panel, 39.5 x 31 inches

Casey Gray, Bang the Drum, 2016 | Aerosol acrylic, liquid acrylic, aerosol glitter, and ink on panel, 30 x 24 inches

Casey Gray, Still Life with Flowers No. 35, 2017 | Aerosol acrylic, aerosol enamel, aerosol glitter, acrylic, and ink on panel, 19.5 x 15.5 inches

Casey Gray, Trompe l'Oeil with Double XO, 2015 | Aerosol acrylic on panel, 36 x 30 inches

*all imagery courtesy of the artist, check out Casey Gray's site HERE