SCULPTURE: NORMAN JEAN Liquor Cabinet (Qua Cordial Cellarette)

NORMAN JEAN Liquor Cabinet (Qua Cordial Cellarette): Polychromed Bass Wood (Cast Iron Base) 71″ H x 30″ W x 25″ D Of Norman Jean, his Magnum Opus, John Casey said, "This is a piece of theatre. It's a one act play without words." Norman Jean was part of the artist's "Vessel" Series. As he explained--"Each piece in this series is a vessel in the quasi-biblical sense in which human bodies are viewed as receptacles for spirits or qualities. Their transformation into physical vessels--furniture--was prompted by item titles encountered in a turn-of-the-century furniture catalogue. As with conventional furniture, each piece in the series is composed of shaped wooden parts jointed together to provide a usable void within. But here the existence of the void--the functionality--and the construction are hidden among the carved folds of clothing. An intimation of the hidden value and complexity of even the oddest among us. "Nature provides some colorful woods, but the palette is limited and the colors fade. In this work, airbrushed transparent ink provides truly polychrome wood with clearly visible grain and permanence. The various sheens of life, from glistening eye to flaccid flesh, are provided by chemically flattening varnish without its becoming opaque. All pieces are life size and highly detailed." A Brief Biography: Dr. John P. Casey, Jr. was born in 1943, and after moving around extensively, received a B.A. from Coe College in Iowa, and a Ph.D. in Philosophy from the University of Iowa. After teaching at Iowa State University and Illinois Wesleyan University, he spent many years pursuing a career in wood sculpture, then returned to teaching at the University of Toledo, where he met and married Rebecca Blass. In 1991, he accepted the position of "College Philosopher" at Warren Wilson College in North Carolina. Over the years he taught many courses there and served three years as Interim V.P. for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College. He then specialized in offering Environmental Ethics, Eastern Thought, and a range of Analytic Philosophy courses. The Warren Wilson community gave him and Rebecca the permanent home he'd never had before. His last letter to the WWC community contained his thoughts that there is no separation and that "you cannot know the Tao, but you can be it." He wrote: "Our lives are experiences to be fully lived. I hope you fully experience those occasions when while painting, you become the painting, ride your bike in the zone, play music and become the music. These can provide glimpses of being without separation. So when it is your time, you can be." --John Casey died on February 24, 2017 After his death, much of his artwork from his earlier life as an artist was found in the basement. It had been packed up for 29 years. ARTIST'S STATEMENT: (Posthumously) by Rebecca Casey Whether through sculpting wood or teaching philosophy, reaching the emotions and the soul of other people has been John Casey's life work. He often explained that his search for beauty in the wood, or in a student's mind, was about chipping away to let in the light. In the beginning of his woodworking career, he carved linen-fold church paneling, communion rails. and built circular staircases. Later, he stopped doing that kind of work and wanted to try, along with Wendell Castle (a well-known art furniture artist), to "blur the distinction between art and craft." He said, "I've been ignoring distinctions for a long time. And now I've decided to make it painfully obvious that I'm ignoring them." He asked questions like, "Why can't furniture evoke emotions like sadness or joy?" And, "Why can't it be fun or make statements about the state of things?" Of Norman Jean from his "Vessel" series, John Casey said, "This is a piece of theatre. It's a one act play without words. Based on a real-life street cross-dresser who dressed like Marilyn Monroe, it represents a melding of art and craft. She/he celebrates diversity while evoking such emotions as wonder, humor, and even shock. An intimation of the hidden value and complexity of even the oddest among us." In his war chest, No Exit (originally named Ark of the Covenant), we see figures trying to get out of the vortex that war creates -- a Pandora's Box of war horror. If he reached the emotions and the soul of even one person, then his journey was a successful one. Call: show contact info (NO Text; NO e-mails)