Though New York based artist Casey Baugh’s oil paintings are generally described as realistic, there is a wonderous quality about them as well that does not exist in real life. First featured on our blog here, Baugh once compared his unique sense of reality in his paintings to one his first passions, photography, an art form that portrays a parallel universe or a version of reality that is “slightly off.” As seen in his instructional videos at his website, he works like a photographer does in a dark room when it comes to painting, building from values and highly saturated colors until his subjects start to take form. The result is a vivid reality that takes realism to a higher, almost unsettling level with a narrative that taps into our complexities and insecurities. His recent series of paintings and charcoals titled “Nocturnus” portrays his subjects at night, navigating through the dreamy atmosphere of twinkling city lights- we find them crossing the street, waiting for a train, or by a parked car, always private moments of quiet while the world around them is bright and alive. At his website, Baugh writes: “Though still maintaining figures as his prime subject matter, he is telling more stories, and his series and exhibits are becoming more thematic. On a constant quest to push new boundaries, he is persistent in experimenting with his inspirations and artistic translations, pursuing more complicated compositions.” Take a look at more of his recent works below.
