Noël Kassewitz, Rococo Remastered: Sunset on the Empire, 2018

Noël Kassewitz (b. 1990) is a Washington, D.C., based artist from Miami, Florida. Kassewitz uses experimental techniques to blur the line between painting and sculpture in artworks that juxtapose material and meaning. Her most recent collection of work consists of woven paintings embedded with found flotation devices, such as buoys and life jackets, guaranteeing the sculptural painting’s ability to float as sea levels continue to rise. I Wish to Communicate With You and Rococo Remastered: Sunset on the Empire address environmental concerns in a humorous manner to bypass the current apathy surrounding the crisis in order for further conversations to take place.

Rococo Remastered: Sunset Over the Empire is a painting created from expanding marine foam, industrial straps, and synthetic sailcloth painted with pastel tones. Kassewitz used this painting as a raft to float down the Potomac River as a commentary on our rising sea levels. In an interview with HuffPost, Kasswitz explains, “Humor catches people off guard, and through my current bodies of work, I am often able to spark conversations with people otherwise reluctant to engage with the topic. As for my own amusement, I imagine someday in the flooded future an art collector will be safely sitting on top of their floating artwork exclaiming, ‘Thank goodness we bought a Noel Kassewitz!’” The sculptural paintings’ ability to float on our rising sea levels not only mocks idealism and a utopian vision of our world but also points out the dangers of living ignorantly to our environmental emergency.

Stamp Gallery, 2019