Some stories are told with words.
Some stories are told with photographs.
Alec LaCasse tells stories with wood.
‘It’s almost like a relationship, a back and forth,? explained the 20-year-old Addison Township resident. ‘The wood speaks and then you speak to it.?
With a carving knife, steady hands and an artist’s eye, LaCasse takes rough pieces of wood and sculpts them into faces that are so detailed, so lifelike, they appear as though they could practically start talking.
‘Faces are my jam,? LaCasse said.
His award-winning body of work includes the faces of American Indians, old sailors, Norse warriors, variations of the mythological Green Man, historical and religious figures, and everyday people.
‘The most important subject matter is people,? LaCasse said. ‘Each line (on a face) does tell a story.?
He draws inspiration from a variety of sources ranging from his fertile imagination to internet photos to random people he encounters on the street.
‘It can be anything,? LaCasse said. ‘That’s the fun of it. It can start with meeting a person.?
LaCasse began carving at the age of 12.
He created a soap carving for a history project and his teacher was so impressed by his natural talent, she advised his parents to get him a woodcarving kit.
They did and an artist was born.
‘I fell in love with it,? he said. ‘I still use the same knife.?
Growing up, LaCasse admitted he had difficulty concentrating and was hyperactive.
Carving helped him deal with that.
‘This was the one thing that kept me still,? he said. ‘It was probably the only thing that could do that.?
He never took any carving classes. He’s that rare combination of self-taught skills and raw talent.
‘I was a little too rebellious to take classes from people,? LaCasse explained. ‘I wanted to do it on my own. I was homeschooled, so I had plenty of time to do it on my own.?
These days, he displays and sells his work at a number of carving and art shows each year. But LaCasse debuted his creations at the 2007 Strawberry Festival in Leonard.
‘I woke up in the morning and decided I was ready to sell my carvings,? he said.
He biked from his home on Hagerman Rd. to the village and peddled his carvings on the street. His pieces were so popular, he sold out, went home to get more and sold out again.
‘That was the beginning,? he said.
Three years later, LaCasse’s carving of Jesus Christ adorned with a crown of thorns earned him the ‘Best of Show? award at the Frankenmuth Woodcarving Show and Competition.
Since then, he’s won a multitude of awards at shows around the state.
Right now, he’s preparing to debut his work at the massive Ann Arbor Street Art Fair, which runs from July 15-18.
The wood LaCasse uses to bring his incredible creations to life doesn’t come from a lumberyard or a hardware store.
‘A lot of times the wood that I work with has been sitting outside for a long time, so it’s considered found wood because it hasn’t been run through a mill,? he said.
He believes imperfections like cracks, knots, even a bit of rot, add to the overall character of his pieces.
‘Ultimately, I want to retain the natural feel of it. I want people to remember that it’s a piece of wood,? LaCasse said.
Although he’s been successful in the art world in terms of garnering accolades and being able to earn a living, LaCasse also wants to use his gift to make a difference in the world and help others, particularly those who go through life unseen, ignored or forgotten.
‘I like the idea that art highlights people and that I can choose to highlight who I want to,? he said.
He and photographer Brad Wall, of Ferndale, are currently working on a project to ‘give a face to the faceless of Detroit.?
The project is going to highlight the city’s homeless population through a combination of portrait photography, wood carvings and the written word.
The purpose is to humanize them by showing their faces, telling who they are and how they got to this point, and explaining why it matters.
‘We want these people to have value,? LaCasse said.
LaCasse isn’t just an artist.
He’s also a teacher who gives one-on-one private carving lessons.
‘It’s a humbling thing to teach people (in that) they trust you and you can trust them,? he said.
He’s hoping to help expand the relatively small woodcarving community.
‘There’s really not a lot of young people carving wood,? he said. ‘It’s unfortunate. It’s kind of a lost medium. I think it’s beautiful. I wish it would grow.?
To learn more about this artist and his work, please visit www.aleclacasse.com