Every Tuesday afternoon we’re featuring the work of an artist in our community to support them in cultivating a new audience, to give voice to their oft-unknown studio practice, and to build a diverse roster which participants in the contemporary arts conversation might reference.

Casey Reed Johnson

Bio: Casey Reed Johnson was born and raised in a rural suburb just outside Baltimore, MD. In 2009, he received his BFA from Maryland Institute College of Art. Since then, he has helped start and now leads a non-profit called Creative Paradox, where he works as both an artist and Creative Catalyst to other artists in the community. Casey’s life and work is inspired by the integration and juxtaposition of the physical and the unseen. His commitment to craft through traditional and contemporary methods display the work of his hands, as a reminder of the physicality of our humanity, in a dissociated digital age. His recent work explores the idea of interior and exterior spaces as a way to encourage the viewer to look deeper past the surface of things. Many of his pieces experiment with the way elements such as light, sound, and electrical current interact with physical forms. These forms exude a bodily and architectural reference while alluding to and integrating the cosmic, the soul, and the unseen. His sculptures create interactive and dynamic environments, which transcend the physical nature of the object. Casey’s work is grounded in humanity while embracing the wonder of the soul.

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On Casey’s work with Creative Paradox

Casey is also the Director-in-Residence of Creative Paradox in Annapolis, MD,  which:

has an investment to see artists creating a more beautiful world and engaging in the culture around them. We believe that artists are “culture makers” who, when invested in, can impact a dehumanized world, turning it toward a world that is full of hope and fully human.

Under Casey & Amy’s leadership Creative Paradox does this by facilitating:

• A competitive five month artist-in-residence program which focuses on the spiritual, artistic, and community development of artists
• A Creative Co-Op for artists and entrepeneurs, running a working gallery, offering events in the form of: exhibitions, cocerts, poetry readings, etc.
• A ‘Young Artist Workshops’ which introduce students to basic techniques with various art materials to create drawings, paintings, and sculptures.

More of Johnson’s Work from the Chair and Crown series

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Additional images of Casey Johnson’s work can be seen by visiting his website.