Casey Weldon’s paintings have always combined beauty with a dark sense of humor to convey a distorted version of reality. Featured in Hi-Fructose Vol. 32 and on our blog over the years, the Seattle based artist’s palette has gradually developed a neon-colored luminosity, where his subjects appear to be glowing and bio-luminescent. Moments of darkness and reflecting colors of electric lights are used to convey emotion and spark intrigue in the viewer.
Weldon turns up the color volume even more in his upcoming solo show “Stray Voltage” at Distinction Gallery in California. His 20 newest acrylic paintings offer a heightened sense of drama in a more vibrant yet limited palette, from extreme darks to blinding bright neons. Here, electricity takes on a multitude of roles as a source of amusement, desire and even fear for Weldon’s subjects. Paintings like “Lit” abandon more familiar surroundings in favor of entirely abstract backdrops, lit only by “stray” bolts of voltage, while in others like “Nope”, light is tangible and something that can be toyed with for the subject’s own enjoyment.
While his neo-surrealistic style is jarring at its surface, the artist’s intention lies deeper than his out-of-this world imagery: Weldon explains that his latest work is a commentary about our modern way of life. His new subject matter makes associations between the rise of technology and our increasing connection to it, particularly where he used the internet for inspiration (some of Weldon’s most popular characters like his creepy 4-eyed kittens started as pictures he found online.) This myriad of influences has, Weldon admits, has made it difficult for him to summarize his art in short, but throughout his career, one thing has remained consistent and that is to create images that are thought-provoking. “Stray Voltage” will be on view at Distinction Gallery in California from April 9 through May 7, 2016.
