Gary Baseman (born September 27, 1960) is an American artist, cartoonist, and animator who investigates history, heritage, and the

human condition The human condition is all of the characteristics and key events of human life, including birth, learning, emotion, aspiration, morality, conflict, and death. This is a very broad topic that has been and continues to be pondered and analyzed fr ...

(especially love, longing, and loss). Through iconography and visual narratives that celebrate “the beauty of the bittersweetness of life,” his work brings together the worlds of popular culture and fine art. Baseman’s career includes illustration for clients including

The New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''the Times'', ''NYT'', or the Gray Lady) is a daily newspaper based in New York City with a worldwide readership reported in 2020 to comprise a declining 840,000 paid print subscribers, and a growing 6 million paid ...

Rolling Stone ''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first kno ...

, and

The Wall Street Journal ''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...

and the bestselling board game

Cranium The skull is a bone protective cavity for the brain. The skull is composed of four types of bone i.e., cranial bones, facial bones, ear ossicles and hyoid bone. However two parts are more prominent: the cranium and the mandible. In humans, the ...

; as well as animation for the

Emmy The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

and BAFTA award-winning series '' Teacher’s Pet'' and its subsequent feature-length film of the same name for ABC/Disney. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences on graphic and multidisciplinary arts and visual communications. Recent projects include a collaboration with

COACH Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

; a documentary ''Mythical Creatures'' about his family heritage; a traveling retrospective that featured hundreds of his paintings, photographs, videos, and toy and costume designs.

Early life and education

Gary Baseman was born and raised in

Los Angeles Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the world' ...

California California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...

. He was the first American-born child of four to Ben and Naomi Baseman, both Holocaust survivors originally from Eastern Poland (now Ukraine). His parents believed strongly in the American Dream, and instilled in their son democratic ideals, using their right to vote, unionize, and advocate for issues that resonated with them. Having experienced horrific history, they encouraged their son to show empathy and compassion for others, as well as be true to oneself. The influence of media and

Hollywood Hollywood usually refers to: * Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California * Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States Hollywood may also refer to: Places United States * Hollywood District (disambiguation) * Hollywood, ...

, blended with LA’s influential art scene, led to how Baseman would perceive and produce art.

“I grew up in the center of the city, the son of immigrants, attending public school with kids with different backgrounds. Our house was blocks away from
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainmen ...
Television City. My mom worked at Canter’s in the Fairfax District, where people from the industry and rock-n-rollers would often land. I was a latchkey kid whose parents were often working, and whose older siblings were out on their own. Television was like my babysitter. Early on, my brother brought animation cels from Hanna-Barbera Studios home for me to play with. While sitting and drawing at the coffee table in the living room, I’d watch hours of cartoons and comedies and dramas.”

Baseman graduated

magna cum laude Latin honors are a system of Latin phrases used in some colleges and universities to indicate the level of distinction with which an academic degree has been earned. The system is primarily used in the United States. It is also used in some So ...

from

UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California St ...

in communications, inspired by the American Constitution's

First Amendment First or 1st is the ordinal form of the number one (#1). First or 1st may also refer to: *World record, specifically the first instance of a particular achievement Arts and media Music * 1$T, American rapper, singer-songwriter, DJ, and rec ...

, and developed into an effective visual problem-solver and message-maker.

Pervasive art

While Baseman is a figure in the Los Angeles art world, he is also situated within an international cultural movement that includes both mainstream and underground artists. Baseman cites Yoshitomo Nara, Takashi Murakami, and the illustrator William Joyce as contemporaries. Baseman coined the term pervasive art as an alternative to the lowbrow art label. Baseman uses the term didactically to describe a broad shift in his and others' work to more visible avenues of art-making. He has stated that his goal is to "blur the lines between fine art and commercial art." According to Baseman, pervasive art can take any medium, and need not be "limited to one world, whether that is the gallery world, editorial world, or art toy world." Today, artists whom Baseman might refer to as pervasive are part of a larger movement with a recognizable "pop" sense, but not necessarily a shared artistic mission. However, by virtue of where these artists are shown and in what ways they garner public attention, it can be said that all pervasive artists in some way play with the boundaries between high and low art. Among artistic peers, critics, and Baseman followers, pervasive art referred to an aesthetic that was until recently, limited to the mediums of album art, comic books, cartoons, graffiti, and speciality galleries. Now, pervasive art is largely realized in multiple mediums and across a range of industries, from fashion design, advertising and graphic design, to toy design, film, music collaboratives, and music videos. Cult-status street artists like

Banksy Banksy is a pseudonymous England-based street artist, political activist and film director whose real name and identity remain unconfirmed and the subject of speculation. Active since the 1990s, his satirical street art and subversive epigrams ...

, new wave comics illustrators like

Gary Panter Gary Panter (born December 1, 1950) is an American cartoonist, illustrator, painter, designer and part-time musician. Panter's work is representative of the post-Underground comix, underground, new wave comics movement that began with the end of ...

, Japanese pop artists, post-punk and hip hop artists, and graphic artists like

Shepard Fairey Frank Shepard Fairey (born February 15, 1970) is an American contemporary artist, activist and founder of OBEY Clothing who emerged from the skateboarding scene. In 1989 he designed the " Andre the Giant Has a Posse" (...OBEY...) sticker cam ...

all contribute to a highly visible aesthetic that is virtually ubiquitous in contemporary culture. Baseman himself exemplifies pervasive art in that he works commercially and also remains an independent fine artist. While he creates products that are sold to a mass market, he also shows in museums and galleries, selling original artworks to collectors. Baseman employs traditional art practices such as painting, printmaking, sculpture, drawing, and collage. For Baseman, being a pervasive artist means staying true to a particular message and aesthetic no matter the medium employed.

Career

Illustration

As Tom Teicholz pointed out in his 2013 interview "Going Home with Gary Baseman",

"After graduating from UCLA, Baseman pursued a commercial art career while continuing to make art, “on the side.” He did a short stint at an ad agency, but that did not really agree with him, so he began to pursue work as a commercial illustrator. To make his American Dream come true and despite his parents’ initial objections, Baseman moved to
New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...
in 1986.”

“The advertising and publishing and art world were all in New York. Every major artist was in New York, and at the time if you lived in L.A. you were a substandard regional artist. You had to go there”, Baseman has said.

From 1986-1996, Baseman worked as an illustrator in New York. He established himself during this period as an in-demand artist with a unique visual sense and the ability to generate sharp, witty messages. He earned several awards from American Illustration,

Art Directors Club The Art Directors Club of New York is an organization for art directors in New York City. It was founded in 1920, and has grown as an industry group, promoting art directors' work through exhibitions and awards, including the annual DESI award for ...

and

Communication Arts ''Communication Arts'' is the largest international trade journal of visual communications.Au ...

. Baseman refers to his illustration work, and to his general process, as message-making. Baseman's drawings have been published in ''

The New Yorker ''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...

'', ''

The Atlantic Monthly ''The Atlantic'' is an American magazine and multi-platform publisher. It features articles in the fields of politics, foreign affairs, business and the economy, culture and the arts, technology, and science. It was founded in 1857 in Boston, ...

'', ''

Time Time is the continued sequence of existence and events that occurs in an apparently irreversible succession from the past, through the present, into the future. It is a component quantity of various measurements used to sequence events, to ...

'', ''

'' and ''

The Los Angeles Times ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

''. He has had major independent and corporate clients such as

AT&T Corporation AT&T Corporation, originally the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is the subsidiary of AT&T Inc. that provides voice, video, data, and Internet telecommunications and professional services to businesses, consumers, and government agen ...

Gatorade Gatorade is an American brand of sports-themed beverage and food products, built around its signature line of sports drinks. Gatorade is currently manufactured by PepsiCo and is distributed in over 80 countries. The beverage was first develop ...

Nike, Inc. Nike, Inc. ( or ) is an American multinational corporation that is engaged in the design, development, manufacturing, and worldwide marketing and sales of footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services. The company is headquartered ne ...

and

Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to as Mercedes and sometimes as Benz, is a German luxury and commercial vehicle automotive brand established in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a Mercedes-Benz Group subsidiary established in 2019) is headquartere ...

. Baseman created the visual identity for the best-selling board game

. After ten years in New York, Baseman returned to Los Angeles to explore opportunities in art and entertainment.

Fine art

By the end of the 1990s, Baseman realized his creativity could extend beyond the world of illustration. His desire to learn and explore other areas of art would result in an explosive creative period for him that blurred lines and expanded audiences as he explained:

“I had a hunger for many things. I started looking at my legacy and thinking ‘what am I leaving behind me’? I loved the editorial work, but it didn’t seem rich enough. I had a fear of creating my own body of work and bringing it out into the world. It always stems from a fear of failure or that people won’t be interested. But I didn’t let that stop me. While doing my editorial work, even if I had an assignment, I couldn’t stop experimenting with my own things and painting like crazy, but still always made sure to hit my professional deadlines. At the same time, I also wanted to do TV; I created two pilots for
Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...
that never got created in the end. I was expanding in different ways, getting bigger within the toy world and participating in exhibitions. At the time, I was gradually giving up the editorial work, so it was an easier transition.”

In 1999, Baseman exhibited
Dumb Luck and Other Paintings About Lack of Control
at the Mendenhall Gallery in Los Angeles. The exhibition established Baseman's transition from illustration to fine art, during a time when many of his artist-friends, like

Mark Ryden Mark Ryden (born January 20, 1963) is an American painter who is considered to be part of the Lowbrow (or Pop Surrealist) art movement.Ken Johnson"Mark Ryden: ‘The Gay 90s: Old Tyme Art Show" ''The New York Times'', May 6, 2010. Retrieved 2013 ...

, the

Clayton Brothers Rob Clayton (born 1963 in Dayton, Ohio) and Christian Clayton (born 1967 in Denver, Colorado) are painters based in California. Both Rob and Christian Clayton hold BFA degrees from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California (19 ...

, and Eric White made similar moves. Since then, Baseman has exhibited in museums and galleries throughout the United States, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Israel, Italy, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines, Russia, Spain, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United Kingdom. Baseman's work is featured in the permanent collections of the

Laguna Art Museum The Laguna Art Museum (LAM) is a museum located in Laguna Beach, California, on Pacific Coast Highway. LAM exclusively features California art and is the oldest cultural institution in the area. It has been known as the Laguna Beach Art Associati ...

Los Angeles County Museum of Art The Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) is an art museum located on Wilshire Boulevard in the Miracle Mile, Los Angeles, California, Miracle Mile vicinity of Los Angeles. LACMA is on Museum Row, adjacent to the La Brea Tar Pits (George C. Pa ...

, National Portrait Gallery in

Washington, D.C. ) , image_skyline = , image_caption = Clockwise from top left: the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall, United States Capitol, Logan Circle, Jefferson Memorial, White House, Adams Morgan, ...

and the Museum of Modern Art in Rome. Baseman had his first major art museum retrospective
"Gary Baseman: The Door is Always Open"
in 2013 at the

Skirball Cultural Center The Skirball Cultural Center, founded in 1996, is a Jewish educational institution in Los Angeles, California. The center, named after philanthropist-couple Jack H. Skirball and Audrey Skirball-Kenis, features a museum with regularly changing e ...

in Los Angeles, California. The exhibition presented more than 300 artworks (including paintings, photographs, toys, sketchbooks, and videos) in an experiential home environment in which guests were invited to sit on a sofa or at the dining room table and explore, participate and visit. The Door is Always Open has since traveled to

MOCA Taipei The Museum of Contemporary Art Taipei (MoCA Taipei; ) is a museum of contemporary art, located in Datong District, Taipei, Taiwan. History The museum building was built during the Japanese rule in 1921 for what later became Jiànchéng Element ...

Taiwan Taiwan, officially the Republic of China (ROC), is a country in East Asia, at the junction of the East and South China Seas in the northwestern Pacific Ocean, with the People's Republic of China (PRC) to the northwest, Japan to the nort ...

(Summer 2014) and to

Shanghai Shanghai (; , , Standard Mandarin pronunciation: ) is one of the four direct-administered municipalities of the People's Republic of China (PRC). The city is located on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the Huangpu River flow ...

chi K11 Art Museum (Winter 2015).

Toby

Toby is one of Baseman's most recognizable characters, an adventurous cat that loves unconditionally. Named after one of Baseman's childhood friends, Toby is your best friend and keeper of your secrets. In 2005, Toby first appeared in drawings, paintings, and plush toys in the exhibition For the Love of Toby at Billy Shire Fine Arts in Culver City, California, marking the official beginning of Toby as a bridge between character development, toy culture, and fine art. Debuted at a crucial moment when popular culture and lifestyle strongly influenced art, Toby represents an important aspect of 21st century art: art everywhere, in multiple media and platforms. In Summer 2015, Baseman commemorated Toby's 10th year as a formal artwork, blurring the lines of fine art and toy culture. HAPPY TOBY TO YOU! at Hong Kong Times Square showcased works from the first Toby art exhibition, photographs, and videos of Toby's adventurous world travels, and a birthday party sculptural installation of Toby and other Baseman characters. The exhibition was housed in another experiential environment conceptualized by Baseman and co-designed by Hjalti Karlsson of New York-based design firm karlssonwilker.

Fashion and toys

Baseman has translated many of his characters into toys and figurines, clothing, handbags, and other accessories. Prominent characters include Toby, Hotchachacha, "the little devil who steals haloes," and ChouChou who "dispels hate and fear, and oozes Creamy Gooey Love out of his belly button." For toy, figurine, and limited edition projects, Baseman has collaborated with Critterbox, Toy2R,

Kidrobot Kidrobot is a producer and retailer of designer toys, vinyl art toys and collectibles founded in 2002 by entrepreneur Paul Budnitz. The company was one of the earliest creators of designer art toys in America. The company was acquired in November ...

Pretty in Plastic
The Loyal Subjects, an
3DRetro
Fashion collaborations include Swatch, Hobbs & Kent, Harvey's, Poketo, and Frau Blau. In 2015, Baseman collaborated with

Coach Coach may refer to: Guidance/instruction * Coach (sport), a director of athletes' training and activities * Coaching, the practice of guiding an individual through a process ** Acting coach, a teacher who trains performers Transportation * Co ...

's Creative Director,

Stuart Vevers Stuart Vevers (born 17 November 1973) is a British fashion designer. He graduated from the University of Westminster in 1996. His first job was at Calvin Klein, followed by Bottega Veneta, Givenchy and Louis Vuitton, where he worked with Ma ...

, for the Baseman x COACH 2015 Spring Collection. The collection introduced an original series of Baseman characters (Buster Le Fauve, Emmanuel Hare Ray, Kiki, Buddy Boy, Butch), capturing the attitude of New York City and developed with the Coach girl in mind. In Summer 2015, Coach released the Baseman x Coach Wild Beast collection, featuring handbags, apparel, and accessories with Baseman's reimagined animal print.

Television

In 1998, Baseman created the

Disney The Walt Disney Company, commonly known as Disney (), is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was originally founded on October ...

animated series ''

Teacher's Pet Teacher's pet is a person that has an advantageous position compared to other students, where the teacher A teacher, also called a schoolteacher or formally an educator, is a person who helps students to acquire knowledge, competence, or v ...

'', about a dog who dresses as a boy because he wants to go to school. Baseman claims the character Spot was based on his dog at the time, Hubcaps. The series aired on

ABC ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script known as the alphabet. ABC or abc may also refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Broadcasting * American Broadcasting Company, a commercial U.S. TV broadcaster ** Disney–ABC Television ...

from 2000–2002, and the feature film of the same name came out in 2004.Saltz, Ina. "Smearing the Boundaries." ''HOW Design''. June 2008: 80. The cartoon included the voice talents of

Nathan Lane Nathan Lane (born Joseph Lane; February 3, 1956) is an American actor. In a career spanning over 40 years he has been seen on stage and screen in roles both comedic and dramatic. Lane has received numerous awards including three Tony Awards, ...

Debra Jo Rupp Debra Jo Rupp (born February 24, 1951) is an American actress best known for her roles as Kitty Forman on the Fox sitcom ''That '70s Show'' and its sequel series ''That '90s Show'', and Alice Knight-Buffay on the third through fifth seasons o ...

Jerry Stiller Gerald Isaac Stiller (June 8, 1927 – May 11, 2020) was an American actor and comedian. He spent many years as part of the comedy duo Stiller and Meara with his wife, Anne Meara, to whom he was married for over 60 years until her death in 2015 ...

David Ogden Stiers David Allen Ogden Stiers ( ; October 31, 1942 – March 3, 2018) was an American actor and conductor. He appeared in numerous productions on Broadway, and originated the role of Feldman in ''The Magic Show'', in which he appeared for four ...

Mae Whitman Mae Margaret Whitman (born June 9, 1988) is an American actress and singer. She began acting in commercials as a child, making her film debut at the age of six in the romantic drama '' When a Man Loves a Woman'' (1994). She achieved recognition as ...

and

Wallace Shawn Wallace Michael Shawn (born November 12, 1943) is an American actor, playwright, and essayist. His film roles include Wally Shawn (a fictionalized version of himself) in '' My Dinner with Andre'' (1981), Vizzini in ''The Princess Bride'' (1987), ...

. The film featured

Kelsey Grammer Allen Kelsey Grammer (born February 21, 1955) is an American actor and producer. He gained notoriety and acclaim for his role as psychiatrist Dr. Frasier Crane on the NBC sitcom '' Cheers'' (1984-1993) and its spin-off ''Frasier'' (1993-2004), ...

Paul Reubens Paul Reubens (; born Rubenfeld; August 27, 1952) is an American actor, comedian, writer, producer, and children's entertainer. He is known for his character Pee-wee Herman. Reubens joined the Los Angeles troupe The Groundlings in the 1970s, an ...

and

Estelle Harris Estelle Harris (''née'' Nussbaum; April 22, 1928 – April 2, 2022) was an American actress and comedienne, known for her exaggerated shrill, grating voice. She was best known for her role as Estelle Costanza on ''Seinfeld''. Her other roles in ...

.IMDb
Accessed December 15, 2010. Baseman won the Outstanding Individual in Animation

for

Production Design In film and television, the production designer is the individual responsible for the overall aesthetic of the story. The production design gives the viewers a sense of the time period, the plot location, and character actions and feelings. Wor ...

in 2003. The show also won two

Emmy Awards The Emmy Awards, or Emmys, are an extensive range of awards for artistic and technical merit for the American and international television industry. A number of annual Emmy Award ceremonies are held throughout the calendar year, each with the ...

: Outstanding Special Class Animated Program 2001 and 2002; Outstanding Performer in an Animated Program:

in 2001; and a BAFTA Emmy for Best International Children's Program in 2001. Baseman also worked on an animated short for the

Nickelodeon Nickelodeon (often shortened to Nick) is an American pay television television channel, channel which launched on April 1, 1979, as the first cable channel for children. It is run by Paramount Global through its List of assets owned by Param ...

television series, ''

KaBlam! ''KaBlam!'' (stylized as ''KaBLaM!'') is an American animated sketch comedy television series that ran on Nickelodeon from 1996 to 2000. The series was created by Robert Mittenthal, Will McRobb, and Chris Viscardi. The show was developed as a fu ...

'' The short was called ''The Louie & Louie Show'', following the adventure of a hamster and a chameleon both named Louie. Baseman animated the sketch, and was directed by Tom McGrath. The short only aired once.

Performance

Baseman added performance art to his oeuvre in 2009 with "La Noche de la Fusion", a mythical holiday festival celebrating the bittersweetness of existence by fusing cultures and blurring the lines of reality. Shown in 2009 at the Corey Helford Gallery in Culver City, the event featured games, live music, dancers, and live models of Baseman's characters such as Toby, ChouChou, Hotchachacha, Skeleton Girl, Hickey Bat Girl, Bubble Girl, and Butterfly Girl. In June 2010, Baseman presented "Giggle and Pop!" at the

. Live action costumed ChouChous played in the

La Brea Tar Pits La Brea Tar Pits is an active paleontological research site in urban Los Angeles. Hancock Park was formed around a group of tar pits where natural asphalt (also called asphaltum, bitumen, or pitch; ''brea'' in Spanish) has seeped up from the gro ...

along with performers dressed as Baseman's WildGirls, who were renamed "Tar Pit Girls" for the occasion. The characters performed a dance choreographed b
Sarah Elgart
and the audience joined in with singer-songwriter

Carina Round Carina Round (born 20 April 1979) is a British singer-songwriter from Wolverhampton in the West Midlands of England. Career In the summer of 1996, following a gig in a basement acoustic club in Wolverhampton, Round was given a three-night su ...

, who performed a song she composed for the event. In July 2013, Toby's Secret Society came alive in "Secrets and Truths", a spectacular art performance created by Baseman with choreography by Elgart, costumes by Swinda Reichelt and music by LA- and Iceland-based Cassette Recordings Collective – arrangement by Scott Hackwith. Created in conjunction with Baseman's The Door is Always Open exhibition at the Skirball Cultural Center, the performance featured Veritas, the Goddess of Dreams, the Princess of Secrets, the Sacred Magi, and the WildGirls performing a special ritual that unveiled "Secrets and Truth." In February 2015, Baseman created "The Secret Order of the Camellias", a site-specific installation and performative space at the

Serpentine Gallery The Serpentine Galleries are two contemporary art galleries in Kensington Gardens, Hyde Park, Central London. Recently rebranded to just Serpentine, the organisation is split across Serpentine South, previously known as the Serpentine Gallery, ...

in London that commemorated the Baseman x Coach 2015 Spring collection. Showcasing the wild beast characters that protect secrets and represent loyalty and friendship, guests participated in a special rite of passage into the Secret Order by offering their deepest darkest dreams at the Shrine of Buster Le Fauve. Inspiring wonder and passion for life, Baseman initiated an adventurous few who faced their fears and desires.

Film

In July 2014, Baseman and director David Charles launched a

Kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

campaign to fund one of Baseman's personally meaningful creative projects, a documentary feature titled ''Mythical Creatures''. The project began in 2012 when Baseman first traveled to

Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the Europe, European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russ ...

on a

Fulbright Fellowship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

, detouring to his parents' hometowns which had not been visited by any family member in over 60 years. ''Mythical Creatures'' aims to connect the stories of the

Holocaust The Holocaust, also known as the Shoah, was the genocide of European Jews during World War II. Between 1941 and 1945, Nazi Germany and its collaborators systematically murdered some six million Jews across German-occupied Europe; a ...

to an entirely new generation through Baseman's parents' dark experiences during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

. The film combines live action documentary elements, along with extensive animated sequences, and other storytelling techniques. Baseman says, "It's really about taking all of the different narratives from the myths I've been told and mixing them with my characters to try and find my truth," he says. "We're not doing it in a straightforward historical way. It's really an exploration of my psyche." ''Mythical Creatures'' is supported by the

Sundance Institute Sundance Institute is a non-profit organization founded by Robert Redford committed to the growth of independent artists. The institute is driven by its programs that discover and support independent filmmakers, theatre artists and composers f ...

's New Frontier Story Lab and the

Museum of the Holocaust The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (USHMM) is the United States' official memorial to the Holocaust. Adjacent to the National Mall in Washington, D.C., the USHMM provides for the documentation, study, and interpretation of Holocaust hist ...

Selected solo exhibitions

* ''Imaginary Friends'',

Tauranga Art Gallery Tauranga Art Gallery an Arts Gallery located in the Western Bay of Plenty District, New Zealand. The gallery exhibits historical and contemporary art. History In 1999 the Tauranga Art Gallery Trust purchased the former Bank of New Zealand buildi ...

, New Zealand The Purr Room, 2019 * ''The Purr Room''
The Other Art Fair
London, UK, 2018 * ''The Purr Room'', The Other Art Fair Los Angeles, Santa Monica, CA, 2018 * ''HAPPY TOBY TO YOU!'' Hong Kong Times Square, Hong Kong, China, 2015 * ''The Door is Always Open'', Shanghai chi K11 Art Museum, Shanghai, China, 2014 * ''The Door is Always Open'', Museum of Contemporary Art, Taipei, Taiwan, 2014 * ''Mythical Homeland'', Shulamit Gallery, Venice, CA, 2013 * ''The Door is Always Open'', Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles, CA, 2013 * ''Vicious'', Antonio Colombo Arte Contemporanea, Milan, Italy, 2012 * ''Walking through Walls'',

Jonathan LeVine Gallery Jonathan LeVine is an American art dealer, instrumental in the proliferation of lowbrow and street art on the East Coast of the United States. About LeVine grew up in Trenton, New Jersey. As a teenager, he encountered punk rock music and the p ...

, New York, NY, 2011 * ''La Noche de la Fusión'', Corey Helford Gallery, Culver City, CA, 2009 * ''Sacrificing of the Cake'', Urbanix, Tel Aviv, Israel, 2009 * ''Knowledge Comes From Gas Release'', Iguapop Gallery, Barcelona, Spain, 2008 * ''Hide and Seek in the Forest of ChouChou'', Billy Shire Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA, 2007 * ''I Melt in your Presence, Modernism'', San Francisco, CA, 2007 * ''Venison'', Mercado Gallery, Barcelona, Spain, 2006 * ''Manifestations of Desire'', OX-OP Gallery, Minneapolis, MN, 2006 * ''Bedtime for Toby'', Second Street Gallery, Charlottesville, VA, 2005 * ''A Moment Ago, Everything was Beautiful Installation'', Pasadena Museum of California Art, Pasadena, CA, 2005 * ''The Garden of Unearthly Delights'', Jonathan LeVine Gallery, New York, NY, 2005 * ''For the Love of Toby'', Billy Shire Fine Arts, Los Angeles, CA, 2005 * ''Happy Idiot and Other Paintings about Unattainable Beauty'', Earl McGrath Gallery, New York, NY, 2004 * ''Open Wounds and Other Paintings about Vulnerability'', OX-OP Gallery, Minneapolis, 2003 * ''I'' ''am Your Piñata and Other Paintings about Love and Sacrifice'', La Luz de Jesus, Los Angeles, CA, 2002 * ''Dumb Luck and Other Paintings About Lack of Control'', Mendenhall Gallery, Los Angeles, CA, 1999

Bibliography

; 2015 : ''The Door is Always Open'' (Shanghai chi K11 art museum catalogue) : ''The Door is Always Open'' (MOCA Taipei catalogue) ; 2014 : ''Pictoplasma-Character Portraits'' : ''100 Illustrators'' ; 2013 : ''Gary Baseman: The Door is Always Open'' : ''Mono Baseman'' ; 2011 : ''La Luz de Jesus 25: The Little Gallery that Could'' : ''Heroes & Villains'' : ''Delusional: The Story of the Jonathan LeVine Gallery'' : ''The 3D Artbook'' ; 2010 : ''Graphic: Inside the Sketchbooks of the World's Great Graphic Designers'' : ''I Am Plastic, Too: The Next Generation of Toys'' : ''Toy Design'' ; 2009 : ''Prepare for Pictopia'' : ''Sketch Book'' ; 2008 : ''Dying of Thirst'' : ''The Upset, Young Contemporary Art'' : ''Knowledge Comes with Gas Release'' ; 2007 : ''My Thirst for Venison'' ; 2006 : ''Dot Dot Dash'' : ''Illustrations Now!'' : ''Full Vinyl: The Subversive Art of Designer Toys'' ; 2005 : ''Strong Stuff: Herakles and His Labors'' : ''Illustration Now!'' ; 2004 : ''Dumb Luck''

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Baseman, Gary American illustrators Animators from California The New Yorker cartoonists Living people Artists from Los Angeles University of California, Los Angeles alumni 1960 births Disney people