Artist Spotlight

Kacey Westall

Name:  Kacey Westall

City:  Miami

Birthplace:  Tallahassee, Florida

Artistic Medium:  Mixed media

How did you get started?
I never grew up wanting to be an artist. Art has always been a part of my life and I was always drawing, but never considered pursuing it professionally.  I made the decision to go back to school a few years ago and signed up for a drawing class.  It was then when I realized that this is what I was meant to do with my life. Now I can’t imagine doing anything else.

Who or what are your influences?
Julie Mehretu, Cy Twombly, Ralph Steadman, and Pat Steir.  Any artwork with energetic mark making or expressionistic qualities has an influence on me.  Exploring my own subconscious plays a big role in my work also, so I suppose I am an influence on myself.

What inspires your work? 
Just to mention the word art inspires me.  It’s motivating to hear about new artists and all of the different innovative ideas that are out there.  I find inspiration from the energy I get from my peers or just being around other artists in general.

How does Miami/South Florida influence your work?
It was shortly after moving to Miami that I decided I wanted to pursue art at a professional level.  After learning more about the art community in Miami, it had a big influence in making that decision.  The art scene in Miami is getting bigger and when you go to an opening; you can feel the energy from everyone there, whether they are artists or just art lovers.

How would you describe your work?
Abstract, intuitive based drawings in which I combine elements of gestural abstraction, drawing, and writing in a very personal expression.  Through the use of ink, graphite and bubbles, I explore my conscious and subconscious memories, trying to differentiate where one ends and the other begins as I think back on my past.  The process of making the art is my way of working through this tiny echo of a memory that could have never even happened.  Writing about the memory, treating the paper with ink and finally executing it with graphite is a way for me to savor one single moment in time and wonder why this memory that seems so insignificant is being brought back to my thoughts.

What has been the most unusual reaction to your work from the public?
I get “into the zone” when I do my artwork, as I am sure most artists do.  I’ve had people compare me to a machine, call me a maniac and say that I go onto autopilot while I’m working. I’ve also had people say that some of my mark-makings look like neurons, which is interesting because that relates to the concept of my work.

What would you like to achieve as an artist?
Presently, I just want to keep exploring my work, further developing it conceptually and visually.  I would like to think as an artist that I can open non-art related minds to a world of fine art they would have otherwise not known about.  I want to pull people in with my work, to look at it from afar and be intrigued enough to come closer and explore it very closely without disappointment.

Upcoming shows:
The Serendipity of Memories, opening January 12, 8-11 p.m.  Located on the 3rd floor of Edge Zones Galley, 2214 N. Miami Ave., Miami.

Where is your work available? 
You can view more of my work at myspace.com/artbykc   or kaceywestall.com

Clouded Dandelions, mixed media on paper, 50x59 inches
Cavern (detail) mixed media on paper, 50x59 inches	Untitled (detail) mixed media on paper, 50x60 inches
Delirium (detail), mixed media on paper, 50x59 inches
Untitled (detail) mixed media on paper, 50x59 inches
Fever, mixed media on paper, 50x39 inches

If you are an artist and would like to be a part of Artist Spotlight, contact Mary Damiano at StarrWriter2000@aol.com