FRESH FRIDAY | JORDAN KASEY

Oil painter, Jordan Kasey, features a unique blend of historical reference and contemporary social issues with her imposing, large-scale works. Enlarged figures encompass the scene at hand; with big, bold swaths of vague color, Kasey creates intimate stories of the human condition. Although the focused figures are representational, their qualities are more clay-like than a usually represented body. Combine that with the various color palettes and the scenes themselves become something that is no longer of this world.

Kasey's interest in classical history is apparent when paralleling Picasso's Classicism Period. Large, shape less figures depicted in a variety of classical scenes, better known as a "return to order", referring to the Greek and Roman Order. Kasey's compositions offer a more other worldly perspective, but with subtle hints at their perhaps not so earthly existence. The hues of the characters range from bright red to gray, irrespective of race, and mostly so of gender, let alone individuality in general. With these factors removed, the intimacy is left. Each large-scaled piece has a composition that is bustling with body parts, whether it be hands, legs, or even an abnormally large back. This allows for a level of focus in human action, communication, and interaction. In one, Practicing Piano, the composition consists of merely a face concentrating close to piano keys, a moment of both of being and life.

Stunningly beautiful and unique, Kasey utilizes the formal foundation with a mix of contemporary intimacy. Equal part vague and unsettling, Kasey uses her characters to express the relative human experience.

Jordan Kasey, Practicing Piano, 2016. Courtesy of Nicelle Beauchene Gallery.

Jordan Kasey, Poolside, 2016. Courtesy of Nicelle Beauchene Gallery.