Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 32
Occupation: Sculptor.
Instagram: @casey__mccafferty
Hometown: Staten Island, NY.
Studio location: Fair Lawn, NJ.
Describe what you make: My creations are wood and stone sculptures in the realm between abstract and figurative.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: I would have to say the most important and significant project I’ve worked on was an outdoor sculptural installation of 40 pieces. It consisted of totems, all varying in size, and not a single one had the same design.
Describe the problem your work solves: I think a lot about different shapes and figures and have created a new world inside my mind. I think we all have this unique world inside ourselves. I have an issue with keeping it wrapped up in my brain. When I sculpt pieces in different mediums, it helps me release this perspective onto the collective reality we all live in and make space for new monsters, angels, or shapes in my head.
Describe the project you are working on now: I’m always working on a bunch of pieces at the same time. The pieces I am most interested in right now are the ones that are a mixture of stone and wood. Having multiple materials in one piece helps me create new contrasting textures and colors and it also helps me switch my skill sets and keeps me in a concentrated state.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I’m in the midst of completing nine pieces for a London collector who will debut them along with other artists’ pieces during London Frieze Week in October. The incredible and exciting factor about being a part of this is that my works will sit amongst paintings of Picasso and wood sculptures by Wendell Castle.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: I make a LOT of noise at the studio and I have two beautiful boys waiting for me when I come home. One of my favorite things to do is read, but with those two beautiful boys at home, I don’t have as much time as I used to. I’m grateful for the noise-canceling headphones that I use while carving to listen to books. Without these headphones I surely wouldn’t be hearing as well as I still am, or finishing as many books as I still consume.
What you do when you’re not working: I love hanging out with my family. I’m very lucky for the family I have. Moving to the East Coast brought us closer to both mine and my wife’s family. I’m located near my parents, her parents, my four siblings who have kids, and her siblings who have kids. We’re a large group! It’s very exciting to watch your children grow up with their cousins. When I’m not with family—and sometimes I get them to join in too!—I do a lot of activities for my health, like ice plunge, sauna, hiking, and working out. It’s important to keep my mental and physical state strong, otherwise my creativity and progress suffer.
Sources of creative envy: There are certain artists that I am really drawn to—like Constantin Brâncuși—but I’m not envious of anyone. I’m just humbled by all the artists, both those who’ve come before me and those who are working now, that expose their innermost private thoughts for the rest of the world to view.
The distraction you want to eliminate: Phones are distracting. They can be built into and part of every aspect of your life. You can find a reason to never have to put it down. I bought this phone called “The Light Phone” which is small, hard to use, and has no social media. I leave my old iPhone at the shop so I can listen to audiobooks and podcasts.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember, but live like you forgot.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Light.
