When you enter the world of American artist James Casebere, the uncanny comes alive, restoring a sense of mystery and enchantment, silence and serenity, beauty and wonder to our experience of the everyday world. Yet, in Casebere’s work, nothing is what it seems – for every photograph is a complex construction of architecture and landscape built with tabletop models in his studio.

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Although Casebere has had a home in Columbia County since 1996, it wasn’t until a couple of years ago that he started living and working in the country full time. Though the transition was difficult, Casebere soldiered through, dedicating himself to the creation of two new series of work that have centered him in a positive and profound space, one which speaks to the restorative powers of nature and our abilities to meet the challenges of the future with optimism and resilience.

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A warm and welcoming man, Casebere laughs easily and lights up when speaking about art and architecture, two of his great passions.  He segue ways easily between the personal and the political, finding quiet spaces where they mix, mingle, and meet to create profound reflections on the nature of trauma and loss, restoration and healing. Sitting on the patio of his Berkshires home, Casebere shares his journey into the country and the ways in which he continues to adapt to an ever-changing world.

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Read the Full Story in the New Issue of Upstate Diary

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