Quantum Foam | Casemore Gallery
© Phillip Maisel, Twin Falls (2683), 2017. Cut archival pigment prints, acrylic, melamine panel. 29 x 21.5”. Courtesy of the artist and Casemore Gallery.
Written by Max Wiener
Photo Edited by Lyz Rider
Good art is meant to challenge us. Nothing in this world is straightforward, and differing interpretation leads a piece of art to be a complex labyrinth of our own internal monologue; this is almost always beneficial. Art that challenges our perception of the world - no matter which aspect - is important in understanding our own cultures, and the Casemore Gallery’s presentation of Quantum Foam is a dazzling display of work that plays with our view of the world in a masterful way. Featuring new and recent works from Dan Davis, Phillip Maisel, and Henna Vainio, a multi-dimensional display of artistry from each artist brings us further down the rabbit hole of our own imaginations, ushering us through an artistic experience truly unlike any other. The series opened on October 7th and has an extremely limited run, closing promptly on November 18th.
Installation view. (L – R) © Henna Vainio, Untitled (Siri), 2023. Glazed Ceramic. 12" x 16" x 5". © Dan Davis, Terrarium, 2023. Oil on canvas. 66 x 58”. © Phillip Maisel, Twin Falls (2683), 2017. Cut archival pigment prints, acrylic, melamine panel. 29 x 21.5” Courtesy of the artists and Casemore Gallery.
Each artist comes together to collectively offer different narratives from the zeitgeist we are exposed to. Their voices are unique, and through them, ours become unique too. “Quantum Foam,” in the case of this series, is a metaphor, for quantum foam “fluctuates in the turbulent nature of spacetime.” The pieces change the more we look at them, and the more we learn about them, the more our viewpoint changes. We judged them by our first glance—a mistake in hindsight. It proves to be a tremendous metaphor that sets up the exhibit on a silver platter of artistic brilliance.
© Dan Davis, Two Recliners, 2022. Oil on canvas. 66 x 56”. Courtesy of the artist and Casemore Gallery.
Dan Davis’ paintings combine the intricate mechanisms of photorealism with the allure and appeal of 20th-century architecture. Its sexiness is its material: floating beds, avant-garde furniture, even shag carpeting. In his art, he argues that we - the designers of our worlds - intend to create dreamlike states in a functioning world, posing a complex argument in the fulfillment of our lives. If we are constantly aiming to live in a dream, can we truly enjoy the now, the real? The further you look into his work the more you realize that Davis is demanding you live your life to the fullest.
© Phillip Maisel, Twin Falls (3263-2/3243/3263-1), 2017. Cut archival pigment prints, acrylic, melamine panel. 20 x 13.5” (3263-2/3243) and 20 x 13.25” (3263-1). Courtesy of the artist and Casemore Gallery.
Maisel uses three different mediums - sculpture, collage, and photography - and completely displaces us from our perceived structures of earthly being. In short, he swipes us completely off of our feet and warps our worldly view in the most profound way imaginable. You have to approach a Maisel piece from every angle, both physically and mentally. A flat piece will be multi-dimensional and vice-versa. Only when this is realized will his true mastery be revealed. It is truly marvelous.
© Henna Vainio, Cosmic Latte, 2023. Glazed Ceramic. 16 x 12 x 16". Courtesy of the artist and Casemore Gallery.
Henna Vainio’s work deals entirely in ceramics, but this does not distract from its beautiful artisanry. Her work focuses on language in the form of word stacks, as she describes it the intersection “as we read, write, speak, and listen from beginning to end.” Sentence structure and linear language are abandoned and our minds have to work, but in Vainio’s world, we create our own version of the words. She allows us to have freedom within our own minds and create our own works stemming off of hers; they serve as stepping stones for us. You feel her presence shaping your mind as you leave Casemore, a rarity that is wonderfully welcomed.
