Painting has the power of taking a viscous medium and alchemizing an abstract idea or desire into a realized form out of that material. Painting = magic.
Current work has grown out of an interest in painting’s ability to embody, or at least investigate, perception and illusion, including exploring methods of optical illusion used in ancient theater machines and the earliest forms of projection using glass slides and candlelight. These thoughts on seeing expand into cinematic themes and imagery based on scans of my body.
Eyeballs, Oil on wood, 2025 // “Eyeballs” is a diptych portraying a scan of my retinas. An Optomap is a procedure where a camera is used to create an image of the back of your eye, revealing the optic nerve, blood vessels and arteries. The modality of separate red and green lasers are used to illuminate the different parts of the eye. So the best way to see the eyeball is with some basic color theory. While making this painting I was using my eyes, the original camera, to observe my own eyes.
The End, Gouache & ink on wood, 2024 // Inspired by the film "The Grand Hotel", I painted this after the 2024 US presidential election results.
Turbulent Waves, Oil on wood, 2024
43, Oil on wood, 2025 // A monochromatic self-portrait, the background color references the chroma keying of a green screen. A painter can create any scenario. Every painting is a green screen.
The Old Dark House, Oil on wood, Work in progress
Magic Lantern (After Kircher), 2025, gouache & ink on panel //Inspired by German Jesuit scholar Athanasius Kircher. In the best known illustration of his invention (a primitive slide projector) the projection is an image of the grim reaper holding an hourglass. Imagine thousands of years ago — before cameras, movies, television — entering a room with a floating image of the grim reaper lit up on the wall. That was real sorcery. I’ve replaced the grim reaper with a pregnant self portrait, thinking about painting, seeing, women’s reproductive rights and my own birth experiences.
Illumination | Based on an ancient theatre machine, the cans and flames create shadows when moved up and down the pulley.
Escape on Avenue B, Oil on wood, Private Collection
The Search Continues Oil on wood Private Collection
Stargazer Oil on wood Private Collection
Go Between (The House We Would Have Built), Oil on wood
The Grand Hotel, Oil on wood
The Rebels' Hideout Oil on wood Private Collection
9x13 foot backdrop painted for Dayton Dance Initiative performance of "In the Wake", 2003 / Choreographed by Jennifer Sydor
9x13 foot backdrop painted for Dayton Dance Initiative performance of "In the Wake", 2003 / Choreographed by Jennifer Sydor
Dayton Dance Initiative
“Bolero” by Maurice Ravel
Choreography: Isaac Jones
Costume Design: Hannah Kasper
Costume Construction: Jo Baudendistal
Live Music: Gibbons String Quartet
Artistic Director: Jennifer Sydor
Videography: Phil Wiedenheft
Photography: Joe Cook, Ron Valle, Adam Alonso, Erin Tufts Cartier
Video from “Bolero” for Dayton Dance Initiative, June 2025. Costumes by Hannah Kasper.
Hannah Kasper interviewed on Discover Classical WDPR 88.1 FM.