Deering Estate Arts In Deep Exhibition Catalogue | Page 18

Flotsam/ (Gazebo) Dimensions variable Mixed media (recycled textiles, wood, fiberglass steer, cement sprinkler rings, aluminum foil, mirror glass, zip ties, safety pins, and fiberglass) 2014 Martin Casuso 16 Flotsam/(Gazebo) is a site specific, mixed media installation that references both the artist's personal history, as well as the estate's, with the sometimes turbulent sub-tropical climate. “In Florida plant, animal and insect-life take over in the blink of an eye. Man may mow and trim, spray and mulch but nature will always have its way in the end.” Using an existing gazebo structure as a base, the artist added coiled and knotted textile forms, branches, and wrapped objects creating shapes that mimic the existing insect cocoons on the gazebo ceiling. The artist notes that although the materials may not seem Eco friendly, they are recycled and will be repurposed after the exhibition. Martin Casuso is the son of a Cuban Freudian Analyst father and a Dutch painter mother. He spent his youth in a bay side neighborhood in Coconut Grove, called The Moorings, building forts in the Mangrove swamps with natural and man-made materials. He received his BFA from Florida International University and his MFA form the University of Miami. He is as local as anyone can be in Miami: a city with a history of being peopled by transplants from all parts of the globe. [email protected] • www.martincasuso.com Currently based in Miami Beach, Florida