THE BIG RECYCLED / REPURPOSED AND SALVAGED 

FALL TREE

a collaborative effort by all

CUSTOM CCHILD CHAIRS, RECYCLED, REPURPOSED AND CUSTOMIZED

BY MARLENE

REPURPOSED AND RECYCLED KEY CHAINS

MADE FROM SALVAGED MATERIALS

MARLENE

JOANIE

ERIC

CUSTOM TOTE COLLECTION

BY TAKENYA

ART BOX PROJECT

MARLENE 

ROBERT

Alexa Cassaro

  Alexa Cassaro is an illustrator. printmaker, craftsman and fabricator from Westfield, New Jersey. Alexa tells us that”her work is Young Adult related, consisting of very strong sassy females, sensitive males and curious genderless characters existing in an emotional and dramatic alien world.” She is influenced by shoujo manga, anime trash, bad girls, scientific illustration, mermaids and glitter. Her comics tend to have LGBTAI and Gender identity subjects with a high school theme.

   Ms. Cassaro submitted 9 illustrations for her exhibit. They are all colorful ink and watercolor pieces with childlike characters that are reminiscent of comic book images. They could be beings from outer space. They also have an Asian flair. They are highly imaginative. Ms. Cassaro has an obvious gift.

    “Praying Mantisgirl,” a watercolor and ink work brings to mind Kafka’s “Metamorphosis.” Ms. Cassaro’s characters are mostly genderless and this illustration does not deviate from that theme. The creature is somehow youthful. . It sits atop watermelon wedges; something truly bizarre. I do not know Alexa’s message. It is very detailed and demonstrates a high degree of artistic skill. Her choice of subjects is wildly creative. Fruit and vegetables figure prominently in all of her work. It is an interesting idea and is a tribute to her skill as an artist.  

   “Sunflower Harvest,” another ink and watercolor painting also piqued my interest. It too has comic book qualities. Three imp like figures sit squat among sunflower plants. Their features are hidden behind their black manes. It is the sunflowers that possess primitive smiling faces. The painting is other worldly. Nothing about it is humanoid, it could be something out of a futuristic comic book. Alexa manages to convey a certain alien presence that the viewer can relate to, but what springs to mind is aliens from outer space.

“Mothboi,” is one of Ms. Cassaro most original works. It is also one of the most Eastern, or Asian paintings of Alexa. Butterfly wings attached to the back of this Shogun warrior are very intricate and required keen technical skill. The warrior sits atop lemons. The aesthetics are impressive. Ms. Cassaro’s message is hidden. This painting engenders a desire in the observer to speak to the artist.

   Alexca Cassaro is precocious. Her imagination is a rare gift. She discovered her talent at an early age. She obviously is making the most of it. We wish her luck in what will no doubt be a long and illustrious career.