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Born in El Segundo barrio in El Paso, Casas pursued both his art and his ancestry, going to Mexico City to obtain his MFA from the University of the Americas there. Returning to the U.S., living and teaching in San Antonio, Casas established his independence as an artist through the 60's while surrounded by younger Chicanos who were forging a consciousness of Chicanismo in art. Alliances sprang upduring that time. In 1967, El Grupo appeared, followed by Pintores de Aztlan in 1970 and Pintores de la Nueva Raza in 1971. In 1972, Con Safo, the largest, most articulate and most successful of the federations was formed. Casas was a member of the latter during the period he was involved in producing paintings specifically concerned with Chicano issues. Representative paintings of that time include NEW HORIZONS (1971) and CHICANO IMAGE ON THE MOVE (1974).

In the mid-1960s, Casas had moved from early efforts as an abstract expressionist directly into the HUMANSCAPE/MOVIE-THEATER SCREEN format we see today in its more developed state. The change took place in the spring of 1965, when the American media were turning their attention to issues of social consciousness. Using large (6' x 8') canvasses and a mixture of Thalo blue and white, Casas conjured up reminiscences of the early movie theater experience, enabling him to capture and sustain the viewer's attention while presenting a saturation of immediate visual experience much in the manner of TV and film. Using that approach, Casas has been highly successful in exploration of the sensibility of relationship between the viewer and the screen.

In ensuing years and until recently, Casas' work featured a 3-dimensionality with figures jumping either into or out of the screen itself. This is evident in such paintings as APOCALYPSE 2001 (1974) and ANATOMY OF A WHITE DOG (1974). Since that time, however, Casas' paintings have undergone another change in attitude. He has apparently abandoned his concern with 3-dimensional volumetric forms and is consciously attempting to portray a sense of flatness, confronting the viewer with a more demanding task. This is clearly seen in X-RATED PAINTING (1975), REMEMBER LEFT IS LOOSE, RIGHT IS TIGHT (1976) and MEDIA CULTURE (1976).

Perhaps the most important overall psychological effect of Casas' work has been his ability to effectively challenge the viewer, an ability which has increased with time. In this challenge, the viewer is forced to abandon his traditionally passive past role and is encouraged to actively engage in full participation; to actively VIEW. By developing his relationship, Casas has extended the artist's range by fully utilizing the role of the artist as PROGRAMMER, adjusting accepted valued and waking ample interest for the viewer to respond and discover more at both his own and the artist's level. This heightening of awareness of the interconnection of levels is an active pathway to the expansion of the viewer's perception of previously held programs and images imprinted by society in his mind.

Santos Martinez Jr., Chief Curator