Spotlight Artist

Casey Jex Smith

Midwest
Artist profile photo
Featured in New American Paintings

Artist Statement

I use the structures of role-play gaming and religious ritual to create allegorical drawings. Leveling up, isometric perspective, character creation, quest items, mythical beasts, and battles are used to mirror real-life scenarios where the individual butts up against institutional power structures. I contrast the reward system in gaming that is finely tuned to providing pleasure to the reward system of global capitalism that can at times feel arbitrary and cruel. My drawings are power simulations where I rule over a white rectangle.

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