Baseman

Save the Date: May 2nd, 2009

Urbanix Gallery in association with Bezalel Academy of Art & Design are proud to present Gary Baseman’s first solo show in Israel. “The Sacrificing of the Cake” opens Thursday, January 8 at 8 p.m. at Urbanix Gallery in Tel Aviv. Baseman’s show is not about birthdays or cakes. It is about self-examination, observation of the past, correction and change. In a picturesque childish language and a sweetish color palette, Baseman displays a series of new works, acrylic paintings along with color pencil drawings on paper. The exhibition features the image of the dragon “Ooga” (meaning “cake” in Hebrew), slaughtered again and again by feminine nude images of erotic girls or nymphs, radiating sexuality - an allegory to the artist’s struggle against his private demons from the past. The narrative of Baseman’s work in this show indicates in an almost hidden way, his struggle to release himself from the heritage of his parents, east European Holocaust survivors that raised him according to the “American Dream.” Sacrificing the dragons of the past symbolically entitles Baseman to release himself from the burden represented by his parent’s world perception, allowing him to re-mold his individual path. The show runs through March 12, 2009.

Knowledge Comes With Gas Release

New Series of Paintings from Gary Baseman's Solo Exhibition in Barcelona

This book is a sample of Baseman's latest series of paintings, "Knowledge Comes With Gas Release." He sez: "I removed the narrative and concentrated solely on the iconic nature of my work. I simplified the main subject, so I could become more complex with the design form of the Manifestations of Desire. I challenged myself to interact with the portrait element in the most extreme way possible. Desire now not only lives in the atmosphere, but also on the figure itself. The figure wears desire like a hat, hair, beard, ears, pimple, flowers, pollen. Open to all and every interpretation. Melting, dripping, clinging, oozing, dripping, dripping, dripping. The desire bubbles have popped." Oversized, hardcover, color.

Introducing ChouChou, who takes all your negative energy and hate, and turns it into creamy gooey love....out of his bellybutton.

Hide and Seek in the Forest of ChouChou

New Paintings by Gary Baseman

July 14th-August 11, 2007

Billy Shire Fine Arts

5790 Washington Blvd, Culver City, CA 90232

(323) 297-0600

12 full page Baseman Paintings and the cover in the new issue of WeAr Magazine.