Casey McGlynn: The Beginning Of Me
In anticipation of his new solo exhibition Ballet of the Pickup Trucks, Casey McGlynn reveals how he found his way to painting, why the horse holds such significance to him as a form and entity, and what thoughts and stories lie behind the images in a selection of his dynamic and poignant new works. Ballet of the Pickup Trucks opens at Bau-Xi Vancouver on April 6 and runs through April 18, 2024.
I was enrolled in multidisciplinary studies
at the ontario college of art and design
My focus was film and video
I started painting in a course called independent study where you see a professor once a term
The horse was the first animal I painted that really led me to find my voice in art
I tried sheep before
The horse was really the beginning of me
I went from shy to outgoing
It led me to this point
Also it refers to the origin of painting with
horses on cave walls
Casey McGlynn, Herd in Red Field. Mixed Media on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches.
FACES HORSE
Faces horse references my favourite film by John Cassavetes “faces”
inside the horse faces appear or are obscured with abstraction
I find I’m more influenced by cinema and music than painting
this is one of those examples
Casey McGlynn, Faces Horse. Mixed Media on Canvas, 48 x 60 inches.
WINNING A PRIZE
This painting chronicles the beginning of a new relationship
All the details are from notes and drawings created in that special time when you have just met someone
this piece underwent many transformations before I was happy with it
The title refers to a piece I did 25 years earlier
Casey McGlynn, Winning A Prize. Mixed Media on Canvas, 60 x 60 inches.
RICKY THE CAT
Years ago I had a black cat named Ricky who knew everyone in my neighbourhood
When we moved he didnt want to leave
We had to go get him five times because he kept going back to our old neighbourhood
A neighbour adopted him . he stayed in the place he loved
Casey McGlynn, Ricky the Cat. Mixed Media on Canvas, 48 x 48 inches.
LIFEBOAT
A horned whale a pickup truck
A racing flag
This painting is about the choices we make the things we buy
and about the need to pull back
Warning signs for our fragile planet
We are slow to change
If things dont change our kids will need a lifeboat
Casey McGlynn, Lifeboat. Mixed Media on Canvas, 24 x 60 inches.
YOU'RE NOT THE ONLY ONE
A duck and a whale.
The duck is similar to one Basquiat painted
The trailer is the one I was possibly going to be living in right after my divorce
I came from humble beginnings humble middle and endings
The turtle is a symbol of longevity and positivity but also takes a long time
to make changes in life
The whale is a large and powerful creature
who is also positive
The numbered grid is a reference to
the times tables my father taped to the end of my bed to help me learn them
And they were the first thing I saw
waking up every day
Casey McGlynn, You're Not the Only One. Mixed Media on Canvas, 24 x 60 inches.
BALLET OF THE PICKUP TRUCKS
I have three paintings that look a bit like a chalkboard
This is a loose reference to Joseph beuys and the drawings he did at NASCAD in the 70s
It also includes a drawing of the twirling pickups
Casey McGlynn, Ballet of the Pickup Trucks. Mixed Media on Canvas, 30 x 60 inches. 
Ballet of the Pickup Trucks.
-Casey McGlynn, 2024