Ray Caesar’s new exhibition of more than 30 works premieres at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, CA this Saturday from 7—10PM and is appropriately titled, “A Dangerous Inclination.”
Ray Caesar’s latest follows up, “A Gentle Kind of Cruelty,” showcased at the Jonathan LeVine Gallery in New York back in January. The first exhibition was a grouping of large scaled works that dealt with Dissociative Identity Disorder, a long recovery from foot surgery and the echo of childhood past, that consistently appears in his digital paintings and assemblages.
Toronto based fine artist, disparate, Ray Caesar, is the first major artist working as an outsider equipped with digital tools in compliment of Roger Cardinal’s art terminology—“art brut or raw art.” Digital paint exposes rich tapestry decorating large architectural spaces while adorning porcelain- skinned characters pose in Victorian inspired dress. (Above, La Chase).
Ray Caesar’s “A Dangerous Inclination” continues his deeply personal journey to settle feelings of childhood trauma and abuse, creating spatial atriums for his characters to protect, reflect, engage, falter, amuse and retain a sense of youth that can never be taken away.
Ray describes, “As a child, I used pictures as a way of hiding feelings and emotions I wanted to protect in situations that were extremely dangerous. If I experienced something that overwhelmed me, that I couldn’t deal with, or had emotions I wasn’t allowed to display, I used to draw it into a picture. Those pictures became a doorway to a happier, safer place – and sometimes a dangerous place for others because it was MY place. Years later while working at the hospital I realized I was doing the same thing. If I saw a child that had been burned with an iron, I couldn’t handle the image in my mind and function. So, I put the image into a picture, sometimes repeatedly (in fact, I drew and painted pictures about irons for 10 years ), and then I would put the picture away into a closet. Sometimes I would have a little ceremony at night and burn the picture in my backyard. (Above, Siren).
For years and years I didn’t realize what I was doing but it occurred to me much later in life that I was dealing obsessively with emotions on a subconscious level and the picture was able to communicate to my conscious level that all was ok ..we have protected the memory and managed the memory and found a place to put the memory so it wont hurt us again. It was/is a excellent way of viewing the image from a safe distance …a way of disassociating oneself from the ugly thing in ones head…a way of turning the ugliness in life into something manageable ..maybe even beautiful. It was and is a way to cope. (Above: 4th from left).
Ray Caesar is like no other, and I am thankful that he and Jonathan LeVine provided the opportunity to create a dynamic collection of his work back in 2008. Ray Caesar “A Dangerous Inclination” opens on Saturday, October 22 at 7—10PM at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, CA and on exhibition through November 12. (Interview 1/20/11 : Ray Caesar Book Overview : FL Cute and Creepy Exhibit : Order Book Here).