BIOGRAPHY

Casey Haugh was born in 1986 in Wilmington, Delaware. At 18 he spent a year abroad in Hamburg, Germany where his love for art galvanized into a career pathway. Upon moving back to the States he moved to Brooklyn and studied Fine-Arts at Pratt Institute and graduated in 2009. Haugh then worked in many galleries in New York City (including Fischbach Gallery), which helped him understand the business side of art and to learn from successful working artists. In 2014 he decided to pause his art career and go sailing, he moved to the Florida Keys and earned a Captain’s license. Sailing professionally would take Casey from Rhode Island to the Caribbean. In 2020 he semi-retired from sailing to marry his long-time partner and live in Washington, DC. With his experience as a preparator in the New York City Art-World, he then went to work in DC for art galleries, The National Geographic Society, and the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. During this time he developed his “Void Series” of conceptual still-life oil paintings which are the culmination of his life’s experiences and lessons learned from sailing, traveling, and creating art.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

So far in my life I have had amazing opportunities to witness the direct benefit of remaining positive and optimistic. My years spent on the water sailing has taught me that being adaptable is the best way to persevere, that the most important tool we all possess is our positive attitude, and that you can have it all in life, but typically, not at the same time! Over the years I have become very interested in Zen philosophies and the understanding of balance, mindfulness, and gratitude. These ideas help me to create pleasing compositions and intentional concepts within each piece.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

I have been lucky to have lived in New York City and now Washington DC, where there are some of the world’s best museums and where I have had the opportunity to study some of my greatest influences over and over again. I find Giorgio Morandi inspiring for his intensity within subtlety and minimal compositions. I look to Milton Avery for his unique lines and subject matter, as well as his choice in color, and I love his confidence. Rene Magritte reminds me to always try and think outside of the box, to question reality, but also to search for the common threads that weave all of humanity together. I will look to Matisse for his use of patterns and also subject matter. Monet and other impressionist for their avant-garde approach to painting, and of course color. But also I am deeply inspired by the Dutch masters like Vermeer for their patience and technique. The list is endless… .

How have you developed your artist career?

Having worked with successful artist and studied art history I have learned that you must treat the creation of art as a serious job in order to be taken seriously and to make meaningful Art. I think many people might think that the painter is waiting for inspiration to strike, creating late at night in the attic, with a bottle of wine and then attends bohemian parties that resemble Paris in the 1920’s. For some, that may be so. But in reality for me, I wake up early and start to work at 9am in a clean and orderly studio, researching and sketching for upcoming paintings, I work on multiple pieces at once, drink green tea, and try to protect my creativity by going inwards instead of wild parties. I will work all day, either stretching and preparing canvases, varnishing and framing finished works, packing and shipping art to galleries, maintaining the website and answering emails and questions, and I stop at 5pm. It is a 9 to 5 job that is very rewarding and also one that I hope never to retire from.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

My main intention with my paintings is to communicate a positive and optimistic message to the viewer. I try and spotlight universal concepts that everyone can relate to. Sometimes it is the lesson that life isn’t always perfect, but that there are always something that we can be grateful for. Other times it is the idea that burdens are easier to overcome when we work together, that good times are made even better with friends and family. My paintings are reminders that we should be mindful in everyday moments, that we cannot do or have everything all at once in life, but we can do certain things with intention really well. They are messages about being aware of the cycles of desire, that we are already rich beyond belief just to simply be alive. At the core of it is the fact that life is short and imperfect, so don’t waste your time.

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

No I don’t tend to focus on politics or social trends, I am much more interested in concepts that are timeless and universal.

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

One thing that stands out for me over years is the fact that art has always been on my mind, even during times in which I was not making any physical art. In hindsight I was painting mentally and developing concepts subconsciously. For me, it took a while to trust my instincts and to have faith in the work I am producing now. But as it turns out these where the same things that many historically great artist have had to overcome as well, which is comforting.

What is one thing you would like your audience to know about you?

One thing I would like people to know about me is that I truly hope you can find something to connect with in my work, something that can spark you into questioning your own intentions in a great way. I want you to see that we are all much more alike than different, we all share the same struggles and the same joys.

Which current art world trends are you following?

I am not too sure how to answer this question about current art wold trends, I suppose I try and use bright colors and a minimal palette, because I think about home interiors and want my pieces to fit in as-well-as stand out.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

Susan and the team at 1515 Lincoln Gallery have a proven history of understanding and being advocates for contemporary artists and the community. They are articulate and thorough when it comes to presentation and selection. It is a great honor to be represented by and work with them.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

I feel the Gallery sets itself apart from other galleries in the high quality of art they exhibit and their history of giving back to the community. Susan’s background in art history and community advocacy is inspirational and unique.

ARTIST STATEMENT

In this series of oil paintings I am exploring the Cosmos by reflecting on our collective place within it. The black table represents the void of space and all of it's unknowable secrets. The impressionistic black and gray paint of the table emphasizes the fluid world that is constantly changing and in-motion. The still-life objects are curated to invoke symbols of Earth and Humanity. I use many traditional symbols to convey my messages. I see lemons as a representation of problems or struggles, and a cut-in-half lemon (or slice) to symbolize problems that were overcome or burdens that were shared. Oranges are a manifestation of good fortune and abundance, a cut-in-half orange can be seen as sharing in abundance with those we love. In addition, I choose other fruits to show the bounty of life and also as the reward for staying optimistic.

I plan the minimal compositions to establish a balance between good and bad, to convey the inevitable ups and downs of life we will face. I render vessels such at pots, bowls and glasses to stand-in for the human form. These timeless objects lend themselves to being viewed as relatable and familiar. Sometimes they are glass, which to me, represents the fragility and transparency of life. I use flowers and plants to invoke a sense of time, decay, life, beauty, and death. In some pieces I convey stimulation of ideas by painting a small coffee cup, these also symbolize hard work, ideas, and strategy. I use a classic oil-glazing technique to paint the objects, which adds an effect of realism in contrast to the more rudimentary backgrounds.

The under-developed style of the backgrounds symbolize entropy and the struggle between order and chaos. I often paint these comforting patterns in one-go as to add a sense of “unobtainable perfection”. I never repeat a background pattern, which has been a very fun challenge. To me the unfocused geometric patterns and typically monochromatic outlines represent the mathematical forces that bind and connect all thing in the world through physics and a unified color-spectrum. To reinforce this message I develop each pattern to echo the objects on the tables.

The over-arching theme of my paintings is that we all have struggles in life at times, but we also are capable of having great moments of triumph as well. The point is to hopefully find a balance between the cycles of desire, the light and the dark, and the good and the bad. That hopefully we will get more good days in life than bad ones. That no one person is an island, rather, that life isbetter and sweeter with the help and support of friends and family. That no problem is too large to overcome or goal too unobtainable if we work together.

I believe it can be very overwhelming to realize our small existence in the grand universe, but I also believe that the miracle is being able to have that shared perspective. To be conscious of oneself is an ancient and eternal gift. We all share in the daily struggles of life, some people never are afforded the luxury of getting old and die far too soon. But if we are aware of what we have now, and how rich we already are, situations gain a much more meaningful perspective.

The Universe continues to support us all, despite the seemingly chaotic and confusing routines of daily life. We exist to appreciate it.

After all 'universe' simply means, One-Turn. What will you do with your One-Turn?

 Casey Haugh’S AVAILABLE ART

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