Nick Cassway

My work uses computer cut vinyl to portray graphically bold portraits of my friends at play. The subjects of my work derive from unposed and candid snapshots depicting scenes of revelry, camaraderie and goofing for the camera. Through these images I am providing an opportunity to unabashedly stare at others, see ourselves and reflect on what it means to be a social human.

I am drawn to computer cut vinyl  – a medium typically used by the signmaking industry – because of its ability to precisely mimic quick, loose and unrefined ink drawings. The medium offers a limited palette of rich colors and novel surfaces such as gold, chrome and glitter that are used in unorthodox and experimental ways. Paired with flat, sumptuous and unadorned backgrounds, my drawings focus a crisp lens exclusively on the action and gesture.

My work has been described as depicting “the edge of banality,” a phrase that I have chosen to embrace. If banality is to be understood as commonplace, then these image indeed express what is common and typical among most people – the pursuit of happiness, a yearning for freedom and the desire to be social.

I was born in and currently reside in Philadelphia and received a BFA in painting from the Tyler School of Art in 1990. I teach computer graphics, editorial design and brand identity design at Drexel University’s Westphal College of Media Arts and Design. I am currently a Fellow with the CFEVA‘s  Visual Artist Fellowship program.