Art Review: Casey Shain - Local Colour, The Past Presented Today

Memories; Patina - etched, scratched, buffed and burnished; The color of music, the taste of blue. Tramp Art - Life’s scars and enduring lessons; The Grid - A sense of period; A Polaroid minute - One exquisite afternoon saved in a vintage candy box...

So begins the introduction to artist Casey Shain’s latest exhibition, Local Colour - The Past Presented Today, now on display at the Keyes Gallery, Stony Creek, Connecticut.  What better way to spend a lazy summer afternoon, then visiting the Keyes Gallery, on Thimble Island Road and taking in a little art after a day at the shore.

Keyes Gallery presented approximately 80 of the artist’s works.  The Sunday afternoon opening was well attended indeed and despite the gloom and doom of the economy red dots were going up on the walls.   

It isn’t painting, it’s not sculpture and it’s not typical New England landscape/still life gobbledegook.  Bits of parchment, silver foil, flowers and vintage photographs lovingly culled and affixed to barn board, shingles, and antique board. The work is etched, scratched, buffed and burnished and titles include such descriptions as Hoohoo's Honeymoon Harley, Left Behind, Roses are Green, American Beauty Goes and Thank you, Nut Lady.  All works are personal to the artist and each one has a story and historical message.  Shain’s mixed media works range in palette from the most subtle pastels to bold saturated color and the subject matter takes the visitor back to perhaps our parents or grandparents time.  For those of us past that 60 year old set... a reminiscence of youth.  Perhaps we too, have photographs and love letters tucked away in our attics but never will they be so kindly displayed as when artist Casey Shain brings history to the present and reminds the visitor of a time not so long ago.

Keyes Gallery
Willoughby Wallace Memorial Library
146 Thimble Islands Rd, Stony Creek, CT
Mon.-Thur. 10am-8pm, Fri. & Sat. 10am-5pm,
Sun. 1pm-4pm.
flickr.com/photos/artbycasey
[email protected]
June 7th-July 2nd:
Local Colour: The Past Presented Today
Premier exhibit of award-winning CT artist Casey Shain.

Comments

[casey]

thank you Lisa. i really appreciated seeing you Sunday, and truly appreciate this review! i'd love to have your readers stop by and see the exhibit anytime during the month of June-library closed on Sundays for the summer though.
casey

[J. Hor]

Nice review!
I'll be coming in from NYC on June 27th to view the exhibit. Any good restaurants nearby?

[Lisa]

J. Hor, My goodness yes there are some excellent restaurants in the area. Fresh seafood abounds and some lovely outdoor eateries... well, outdoor if it ever stops raining. Enjoy the exhibit.

[J. Hor]

Thanks for posting this review. Thoroughly enjoyed the exhibit! Casey Shain's vision and artistic expression is evocative of distant memories, and catches glimpses of the intimate life woven within the beauty and very fabric of Connecticut's historical shoreline community. I couldn't resist and purchased one of Mr. Shain's pieces. Undoubtedly as his work gains more exposure, Casey Shain will be recognized as one of the Connecticut's art community's most talented, progressive and expressive artists.