Ray Caesar

Have you ever had one of those moments where you’re just idly enjoying something, then you find out something about whatever it is you’re checking out that turns everything upside down and BLOWS YOUR MIND? That’s what happened to me just now, looking at Ray Caesar’s work.

Ray Caesar is a Toronto-based artist who has been a rising star on the “alternative contemporary” scene for quite some time, or whatever contemporary art that you won’t see at the Venice Biennale is called these days. I’ve seen his work plenty of times in the past and I’ve very much enjoyed seeing his unsettling visions evolve over the years. What I didn’t realize up until well, just now, is that he makes these pieces using 3D software (Maya, specifically).  Any of you who have worked with 3D will immediately grasp the level of skill required to create these detailed, lush, organic, painterly scenes. For those of you who haven’t worked with 3D software, imagine being a highly skilled painter who only paints on sculptures that you have built yourself from the armatures up. Now create lighting and atmospheric effects to make this all more realistic. Be sure not to make it look stiff or posed! OK, now take a photograph of it, taking depth of field, camera angle, and compositional values into consideration. The mind boggles, it truly does.

Ray Caesar was born in 1958 in London. At an early age, his family moved to Toronto, Canada, where he currently resides. From 1977—80 he attended Ontario College of Art, followed by 17 years from 1980—96 working in the art & photography department of theHospital For Sick Children in Toronto, documenting disturbing cases of child abuse, surgical reconstruction, psychology, and animal research. Coupled with inspiration from surrealists Kahlo and Dali, Caesar’s experiences at the hospital continue to influence his artwork. His haunting imagery is created digitally using 3D modeling software called Maya, mastered while working in digital animation for television and film industries from 1998—2001. In 1999, Caesar received a Primetime Emmy Nomination for Outstanding Special Effects in a series.
– Jonathon LeVine Gallery

So, um, yeah. Ray Caesar’s charmingly nightmarish visions are informed in part by a rather disturbing career as a photographer. I’m a big fan of old medical textbooks like dental surgery, pathology & plastic & reconstructive surgery, but I’m not sure I could deal with documenting child abuse and animal experiments as a job. Certainly rich fodder for shaping artistic vision, however. Coupled with incredible skill and a strong background in fine art, and well, there you go. Ray Caesar. Wow, and then some.

Caesar has (as you might imagine) had tons of magazine articles, newspaper reviews, a zillion online articles like this one extolling his virtues, a pile of exhibitions, and all that kind of thing. In 2011 alone he had a  solo show at the Jonathon LeVine Gallery in NYC and another at the Cory Helford Gallery in LA. He had an exhibition at Richard Goodall Gallery in Manchester, UK that just finished last month.

Also, he is not a dog as his bio claims. Here he is at the opening for his show last year at the Cory Helford Gallery in LA.

More of Caesar’s art can be seen on his website or his blog. He is represented by Gallery House in Toronto.