ASC to present colorful exhibition by Eliseo Casiano opening Aug. 4
A new exhibition filled with striking portraits by Batesville-based artist Eliseo Casiano will open at the Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas ( ASC) on Thursday, Aug. 4. “Color, Faces, People” will be on view in the William H. Kennedy Jr. Gallery through Saturday, Oct. 22. ASC will also host a free, drop-in reception from 5-7 p.m to celebrate the show’s opening on Thursday, Aug. 4.
The exhibition is sponsored by the Arts and Science Center for Southeast Arkansas Endowment Fund. M. K. Distributors and Art Krewe are sponsoring the reception.
“Color, Faces, People” features 27 pieces of art, including framed drawings, monochrome paintings on canvas, and paintings on unstretched canvas. The body of work pulls from the language of painting and personal narrative. Casiano uses his interest in color, light, and pattern to create a spectrum of potentialities that reflect a Mexican- American aesthetic centered on his lived experience.
Casiano’s exhibition features a variety of stylized and realistic portraits, all with an interesting and unique flair. “I reconfigure family photographs and oral histories into heavily saturated and adorned paintings with free associations and indefinite resolution,” says Casiano. “I hope my formal elements draw viewers in to make their own connections. Whether linked to family, identity, or selfreflection, I hope they appreciate the representations I chose to paint.”
Casiano’s practice initially started by working from family photographs as a way to unpack and illustrate narratives from the past. “Some of the relatives in my paintings passed away before I was born. I feel closer to them by the time I finish a portrait, maybe from looking at their faces for so long. I begin to imagine the way they sound, the way they laugh or carry a story.”
The monochrome paintings, from his “Spectrum Series,” feature friends and families from recent visits or conversations. “This series is less inspired by race/ identity, and more related to connectivity,” says Casiano. “Living subjects are different, definitely less heavy. I often think about where they are, what they’re doing, what they’re eating tonight.”
“Color, Faces, People” invites the viewer into a world beyond traditional portraiture, stated ASC Executive Director and Interim Curator Dr. Rachel Miller.
“In his striking depictions of friends and family, Casiano uses overlays of saturated colors to explore his subjects’ moods and identities,” says Miller. “This dramatic use of color abstracts the images, encouraging contemplation. Viewers may wonder: what are these people feeling or doing? How does color affect our interpretations?”
A native of Clinton, Oklahoma, Casiano is based in Batesville, Arkansas. He earned his Bachelor in Fine Arts degree in painting from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma, and his Master in Fine Arts degree from Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. Casiano serves as gallery manager at the Batesville Area Arts Council and is an adjunct instructor in painting and drawing at Lyon College.
His paintings have been shown widely across the United States, including at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art in New Orleans, Texas A& M- Corpus Christi, and the Vermont Studio Center.
The Arts & Science Center for Southeast Arkansas ( ASC), is located at 701 S. Main St. in Pine Bluff. Gallery admission is always free. ASC is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday–Friday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.