The Utah Museum of Contemporary Art believes in the power of the art of our time. Through programming, advocacy, and collaboration, we work with artists and communities to build a better world.

Casey Parkinson: Ascension

Oct 27, 2017 – Jan 6, 2018

Casey Parkinson’s ceramic installation examines the moment when the physical self begins to give way to the spiritual self. Parkinson connects mind and body to nature by transforming a pair of empty decaying shoes—they appear to be returning to the earth, and then rising again as ring of flowers—creating a place where beauty, intrigue and repulsion are intertwined. 

Similar to the way moisture is removed from pliable clay when fired in a kiln—causing a change in the physical makeup of the clay to produce hardened objects—Parkinson’s installations, with their absentee figures, represent a moment when the rigid becomes malleable.

About the Artist

Casey Parkinson is a ceramic artist from Hammond, Louisiana. She creates sculpture and installation art, exploring concepts of psychology and spirituality through metaphorical illustrations of nature. In addition to her sculpture, Parkinson creates wheel-thrown functional dishware and vessels, using stoneware and porcelain clay. She received her MFA from Louisiana Tech University.

Her work has been included in national juried exhibitions, at venues such as Louisiana’s Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans Contemporary Art Center, River Oaks Art Center, and at LSU’s Student Union Gallery, where she was awarded first place at the 20x20x20 National Compact Exhibition. She has been recognized in publications such as United Hemispheres Magazine, CFile, and The New York Times. Casey currently teaches art and ceramics at Sunset Ridge Middle School in West Jordan.