On October 2, Writ & Vision will open "Wars and Rumors of Wars", an exhibition of recent drawings and paintings by Casey Jex Smith.
Smith is a celebrated artist, originally from Salt Lake City, whose work has been shown in galleries and museums in Paris, Rome, New York, and Los Angeles. While studying at BYU, Casey developed a fascination with the intersection of role-playing games, Mormon iconography, and fine art history. This exhibition represents the artist’s latest exploration of these overlapping interests.
The artist’s works are exquisitely drawn—a single drawing might require 250 hours of labor, or more. Included in the 22-work exhibition are:
--“Seer Stone” based on the newly-photographed talisman used by Joseph Smith, Jr. to translate the Book of Mormon
--“Lehi’s Vision,” an 80-inch-wide drawing that reinterprets the scriptural allegory and repopulates it with characters from the world of role-playing games
--“Lord Spelldyall,” a portrait of Mitt Romney re-imagined as a hero from Dungeons and Dragons war play
--A series of allegorical drawings about fatherhood, work/life balance, and other epic quests
A full exhibition catalog will accompany the show, with an essay by guest curator Glen Nelson, an extended interview with the artist, and reproductions of the artist’s works.
Come enjoy the opening, meet the artist, and experience this one-of-a-kind artwork up close and in person. The opening will run 6 - 9 pm, is free and open to the public, and will feature light refreshments.
