Interview

Off-Foot Soccer - Case Jernigan

 

Who are Off-Foot Soccer?

I’m Case Jernigan, an artist and animator living in NYC. Anderson Fariss helps with the business and promotion side, he’s a Manchester United fan and we went to high school together.

 

Where do you reside? 

Downtown New York- but my studio is in Brooklyn.

 

Which athlete do you get out of bed for to watch? And why?

Growing up I was obsessed with Pete Sampras - he was athletic, fearless, and mentally unstoppable. My favorite footballers these days have a touch for the dramatic, a hunger for goals, and a hardworking industry. I’m thinking Yohan Cabaye, Francesco Totti, Michael Bradley.

 

Which sports team gets your blood pumping? And why?

I’m a Newcastle fan because of the way they USED to play: entertainers, high scorers, big personalities. The club is in a slump, but we’ll come back. I also love the US National team; what we lack in skill we make up for in sheer muscle and unflappable spirit.

 

Do you play sports yourself? 

I played competitive tennis as a kid. Now I coach tennis and try to play football a couple of times a week.

 

Who’s your favourite artist? And why?

That’s a tough one. There are so many and it changes regularly, but Picasso for his drawing skill and bravado. DaVinci for his overall breadth, ambition and talent. Paolo Uccello for his grasp of space and pictorial complexity. DeKooning for his emotional use of paint and line.  

 

What was the key moment your love for art grew?

I have been drawing since before I can remember. Art was always a part of my life, but I think I decided to actually dedicate my life to being an artist after I visited Florence, Italy as a student. The Donatellos, DaVincis, Piero della Francescas and other Renaissance masterpieces stunned me. I remember thinking, “How is this possible?” That experience set the bar high.

 

How did your love for sports come about?

I picked up a tennis racket when I was 5 or 6 and played tournaments all the way through university. I was obsessed with tennis, the euphoria of winning or the horrible disappointment of losing affected my life a great deal. I picked up football again in my 20’s and was able to focus on just enjoying myself and being part of a team. I like sports much more now that I can relax and not be so hard on myself.

 

When did sport become a subject of your own art?

About a year ago, before the 2014 World Cup, a flood of memories and images came to me from my experience in Germany and Italy during 2006.  I wanted to find a way to put my interest in football onto paper.  

 

What is Off-Foot Soccer’s style?

I primarily work in paper, cutting and making figures and movement from layering. I also draw with ink. My biggest influences are from ancient manuscripts and Renaissance art.

 

If people want to see your work in real life: where do they have to go?

You can come visit me in my studio if you want. Otherwise, there are always some of my soccer pieces hanging at The Grafton Pub in New York. I’ll be having gallery exhibitions in New York this July, Charleston, SC (my home town) in December, and another in Montreal in the winter.

 

What is your favourite sport artwork you made?

I made an animation of Maradona scoring the goal of the century. This was really fun to make, but also challenging as each frame is drawn painstakingly by hand. It was a great learning experience because I had never animated until last year.

 

Which sport, sports team or athlete has always been on your mind, and is on the list to make a work of?

I like the NY Cosmos. Great history, great kit, and they are local. I think I’ll make some Cosmos art soon.

 

Which sport artist/colleague of yours do we have to check out?

Steve Welsh is an interesting football illustrator.  We haven’t met personally, but I’m a fan of his work. Fran O’Neill is a very interesting abstract painter / colleague living in NYC.

 

Julius Caesar used to say (freely translated): “Give the people bread and games, and they will be quiet.” If you were Julius for a day, wanted to keep everybody relaxed, what food and which games would you give them?

The ups and downs of Newcastle United are enough to keep anyone engaged, if not relaxed.  As for food? A good cheeseburger and a nap sounds about right.

 

When I say Art Loves Sport, what’s the first thing that pops up in your mind?

The best art is made with the skill of our hands and the knowledge in our brains working simultaneously. What is sport if not the same? Find the line that hovers between the two, where surprises and innovation are possible.