“My work involves an investigation into extant negative forces in our lives, and to what degree the phenomenological ramifications of stress shape us physically, mentally, and emotionally. The formal language present in this analysis is based on a material study of geologic processes translated into ceramic and mixed media objects, often referencing historical vessel form. I seek a purposeful link between macrocosmic environmental change, and interruptions in our otherwise routine existence.
The foundation of this exploration is a desire to uncover the sublime in these moments of incongruity; the rush of presence into experience that might otherwise remain banal and ordinary, brought on by perceived inconvenience. My work asserts that it is possible for our daily vexations to illuminate the power of the present moment – something we all too often fail to notice.”
– Andrew Casto
Andrew Casto (b. USA, 1977) lives and works in Iowa City, and has exhibited work internationally in Spain, Croatia, Italy, Austria, Slovenia, Belgium, New Zealand, China, Switzerland, France, England, and Japan. He was a recipient of the Emerging Artist award by the National Council on Education for the Ceramic Arts, a long-term resident at The Archie Bray Foundation, as well as a finalist for the Young Masters Maylis Grand Ceramics Prize in London. Casto has exhibited in over ninety group and solo exhibitions, and is currently Professor and Director of The School of Art, Art History, and Design at The University of Iowa.
