56: Casebeer
Casebeer was born in Madrid, raised in Flagstaff, and flew around a lot in single engine aircraft. She was inordinately affected by the movie Jaws. She dropped her first name in favor of her last, fell in love with Phoenix guitarist Joe Myers. Together, they raised his daughter Briannah, who has Down Syndrome.
She gave birth to her son Tosh, wrote short fiction for over a decade, and fell in love with, moved to, and resided in the Hotel Chelsea in New York City (where she saw the towers fall on 9/11). She returned to Arizona, and recently moved to an old house in downtown Phoenix. She plans to open a gallery that she will call something, but not a gallery (she doesn't like that word).
In the event of an emergency, she says she will collage you to safety.
1. Name five things on your Inspiration Wall (real or imagined).
I didn't even know I had an inspiration wall, then I found a whole bunch of them lying around here. Here is a random sampling of my discoveries:
- Matt Fielder's American DNA backbone which is a yellow line painted on crumpled, stained notebook paper with little arrowed lines to words like, but not at all limited to, the following: "Science. Breakfast Cereal. Knowledge of Dinosaurs. Cigarettes. Bill Clinton. OJ Simpson's Lawyers."
- The Fisher Price House from my childhood. A few years ago, Tempe artist Beth Tom and I painted her studio into a life-size Fisher Price house during the death-defying temperatures of a late Phoenix summer in high November. There we were, painting the enormous versions of flowers and plastic dog bowls from our childhood toys and listening to the Peanuts Christmas soundtrack on a 100 degree Thanksgiving weekend. Listen, I mean to tell you.
- Family pictures. A picture -- every picture -- of my mother. A picture of Father on his surgical eye expeditions to care for the blind in Mexico. Picture of Joe Myers with his daughter. The "Insane" self-portrait made by my son. "This Runs On Blood" silk-screened posters made by my crazy mo fo brothers. Picture of Eric Iwersen in kindergarten (from my facebook wall).
- The "Need Items, Please" sign my brother and I made in New York to see what items, if any, people would give us.
- A drawing of Einstein sticking out his tongue, by Randal Wilson.
2. What was your last big project?
For one thing, I had to stop dragging bulls around by their horns. More tangibly, I painted an eight-foot commissioned piece for the private dining room of Chef Silvana Esparza and Wendy Gruber of Barrio Café. I loved their parameters: "Paint what you paint. Try not to take a year."
3. What's your next big project?
Naming the above aforementioned downtown Phoenix art project (not gallery) so we can open it in October. There are so many words in this wide world. Just the letter 'P' can take you forty nights and four good friends to explore.
Also, and more ferociously: I really am going to write that book.
4. What does this city have than no other city has?The Sky Harbor Airport art gallery comment book in terminal four, which serves as half confessional / half things-people-say-when-they-say-things-about-art airport art comment book. I discovered it during the course of group show there where I had some work in the exhibit "Other Words". I'll say.
5. What's one thing you want Phoenix to know about you?
I've been writing sentences I like on my arms, in Sharpie marker, for almost three years now. I've talked to Sharpie. They do not recommend it.
(And, if you are game, one thing you don't want Phoenix to know about you).
I have been trying to master the famed John Travolta dance from Saturday Night Fever to little avail.
The Creatives, so far:
100. Fausto Fernandez
99. Brian Boner
98. Carol Panaro-Smith
97. Jane Reddin
96. Adam Dumper
95. Mayme Kratz
94. Daniel Tantalean
93. Yuri Artibise
92. Lisa Starry
91. Paul Hoeprich
90. Betsy Schneider
89. Mary Shindell
88: Gabriel Utasi
87: Tiffany Egbert
86. Angela Cazel Jahn
85. Dayvid LeMmon
84. Beatrice Moore
83. Michelle J. Martinez
82. Carrie Bloomston
81. Paul Porter
80. Rachel Bess
79. Karolina Sussland
78. Aaron Abbott
77. Mary Lucking
76. Erin Sotak
75. Greg Esser
74. Matthew Mosher
73. Mark Klett
72. Tony Carrillo
71. Paul Morris
70. Joe Pagac
69. Alison King
68. JJ Horner
67. Kim Porter
66. Marco Rosichelli
65. Heather Hales
64. Amy Lamp
63. Kevin Vaughan-Brubaker
62. Lindy Drew
61. Robbie Pfeffer
60. Neil Borowicz
59. Lynn Fisher
58. Tanner Woodford
57. David Tinapple