Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Stephen Basso
Sheet Music, whimsical, surrealist colorful pastel on paper

2007

About the Item

Music theme, nude figures, abstract composition Pastel on paper *ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imagination, wry wit and fearless color. His shrewd social observations often translate into eerily humorous figurative scenes and narratives. Mr. Basso’s works evoke a high level of inquiry. The fanciful, yet keenly observed characters are unpredictable and evocative. The viewer vacillates between surprise, delight, and consternation. A Brooklyn native, much of Basso's wildly imaginative artwork was inspired by travel to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and especially Mexico. Basso is particularly drawn to Latin American art, channeling its mix of Western and African influences and imagery into his vibrant, often surrealistic work. Combining a New York and a Mexican sensibility, he says of his work, "There is a natural surreal quality to Mexico that can collide with its harsh realities. One might call it bittersweet. It is often bawdy, but rarely vulgar, and images are everywhere. Love, hate, fear desire and of course, humor, never go out of style.” And he adds, " I like mixing high ideals with American irreverence." The elements of mystery, escapism, and humor blended with reality define his art. It is of a personal nature consisting of a cast of characters that inhabit the stage between the extreme highs and lows of life, a state of limbo where dreamlike scenarios are often pulled back to the reality of daily existence. Of his process, Mr. Basso says, "The paintings and drawings begin with objects around my home and studio, photos from various sources, and people I know, have known, or have yet to meet." By in large, Basso is self taught. (After initially attending the School of Visual Arts for Illustration, he realized painting was more engaging for him.) Seeking emotional honesty, he looked to the work of several "mentors": Max Beckmann, Francisco Goya, Willem de Kooning , Philip Guston , Marsden Hartley and Albert Pinkham Ryder - artists that spoke to the human condition.
  • Creator:
    Stephen Basso (1953, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2007
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 27.01 in (68.6 cm)Width: 19.02 in (48.3 cm)Depth: 0.99 in (2.5 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU133915703521
More From This SellerView All
  • Prize Blade 1, abstract male nude, expressionist brushwork, dark, monochromatic
    By Tom Bennett
    Located in Brooklyn, NY
    Monotype Dramatic imagery from Tom Bennett’s series of monotypes, blending surrealistic mindscapes with stark realism About Tom Bennett: With quick brushstrokes, Tom Bennett creates representational images of human figures and animals, emphasizing movement in a manner reminiscent of Lucien Freud, Edgar Degas and the photographer Eadweard Muybridge. Elongated and blurry, the horse racing up a hill (Canter Fritz, 2002) and the sinister cat landing a leap (Chien Blanc, 1998) elicit a sense of foreboding enhanced by Bennett’s somber palette; his female figures too reflect a grim sense of humor with their distorted nude bodies. The face of Untitled Figure (1997), for example, is obscured by layers of dark paint. Classically trained as a painter, he initially worked in oil on canvas but discovered that monotype printing enabled him to “literally push the image around,” creating an essential element of motion. To overcome the limited scale of monotypes, however, he switched to painting on slick-surfaced plastic. Tom Bennett’s practice is rooted in the classical tradition where painting and drawing from life is highly regarded. Bennett’s work is heavily influenced by Francis Bacon, Frank Auberbauch and foremost his father, Harry Bennett, who was also an artist. Tom’s time living abroad in Spain and traveling through Eastern Europe and Africa provided the artistic freedom to explore many of the techniques and subject matter that continue to define his practice. Bennett was born and raised in Connecticut. His mediums include monotypes, oil on paper, canvas or styrene board. In a technique that Tom started over 4 years ago, several of his monotypes have been painted over with oil paint using a palette knife, brush, or his fingers to re-purpose the underlying image. These works are a testament to Bennett’s ability to quickly and concisely compose an image with expressive brush strokes, foreshortened figures and expertly rendered light. Tom’s work has been featured in group and solo exhibitions worldwide. Bennett lives and works in Brooklyn, New York. He is currently represented by Tabla Rasa...
    Category

    2010s Expressionist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Archival Ink, Archival Paper, Monotype

  • Help From Friends, colorful blues, purples, spiritual figure abstract watercolor
    By Janet Morgan
    Located in Brooklyn, NY
    Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. This piece is very much about the energy of the body and breath. We are just rediscovering the power of the breath to increase energy and general well being. This work is so important as our society gets more disembodied and broken, we need to come home to our bodies and realize the sacredness of ourselves and every being on the planet. Janet has both shown and taught with Alex Grey...
    Category

    2010s Expressionist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

  • How To Listen, colorful spiritual figure
    By Janet Morgan
    Located in Brooklyn, NY
    Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. This piece is very much about the energy of the body and breath. We are just rediscovering the power of the breath to increase energy and general well being. This work is so important as our society gets more disembodied and broken, we need to come home to our bodies and realize the sacredness of ourselves and every being on the planet. Janet has both shown and taught with Alex Grey...
    Category

    2010s Expressionist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

  • The Dynamic Center, colorful, goddess with abstract elements, red, blue, yellow
    By Janet Morgan
    Located in Brooklyn, NY
    Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. This piece is very much about the energy of the body and breath. We are just rediscovering the power of the breath to increase energy and gen...
    Category

    2010s Expressionist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

  • On Top of the World figurative, green colorful spiritual
    By Janet Morgan
    Located in Brooklyn, NY
    Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. Janet Morgan’s explosive art captures the exuberance and deep wisdom we humans yearn to experience. Her sense of humor and spiritual depth s...
    Category

    2010s Expressionist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

  • The DNA Goddess
    By Janet Morgan
    Located in Brooklyn, NY
    Watercolor, mixed media, using resists. This is from the God and Goddess Series, Morgan's Supreme Being, nearly 200 deities both new and new takes on tra...
    Category

    2010s Symbolist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Mixed Media, Watercolor, Archival Paper

You May Also Like
  • When We Work Together, Abstract Figurative, Acrylic & Pencil on Paper, Signed
    By Allison Meyler
    Located in Armonk, NY
    When We Work Together, 2020 30" x 30" Abstract Figurative Mixed Media Acrylic and Pencil on Paper Signed Allison Meyler is a contemporary painter, with a love for color, pattern,...
    Category

    2010s Abstract Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Pencil, Paper, Mixed Media, Acrylic

  • Green Saturn - line drawing woman figure with circle
    By Mila Akopova
    Located in Fort Lee, NJ
    The work was done with ink and watercolor on watercolor paper 300g. The work is 11 by 15 inches in size framed (black) with a styrene face on a mat board in beige color with size 20...
    Category

    2010s Minimalist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Paper, Watercolor

  • Untitled - 1968 Watercolor & Pencil - Three Surrealist Figures - Surrealism
    By Dorothea Tanning
    Located in Rancho Santa Fe, CA
    Dorothea Tanning Untitled 11 x 10 inches Signed & dated lower right Framed A 1968 watercolor & pencil depicting three surrealist figures. PROVENANCE: Merz Kunsthandlung (Sprengler...
    Category

    1960s Surrealist Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Paper, Watercolor, Pencil

  • Her beautiful vagina. 2009, ink on paper, 26x17 cm
    Located in Riga, LV
    Her beautiful vagina. 2009, ink on paper, 26x17 cm Erotic ink drawing in black and white colors
    Category

    Early 2000s Modern Abstract Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Paper, Ink

  • Female #5
    By Ant Pearce
    Located in Brecon, Powys
    Another baboon face work from the very talented ant Pearce. Clever stuff. Ink on paper
    Category

    21st Century and Contemporary Abstract Expressionist Nude Drawings and W...

    Materials

    Ink, Paper

  • Nude Study
    By Federico Castellon
    Located in Wilton Manors, FL
    double-sided c.1950's drawing by Spanish artist, Federico Castellon (1914-1971). Ink on wove paper, sheet measures 10 x 13 inches; 21.5 x 24.5 inches in wood frame. Excellent condition with no restoration or damage. Signed with artist's chop in red ink seal that he used in Asia. From a recently discovered collection of over 60 important Castellon drawings and watercolors c.1939-1950. Birth place: Almeria, SpainDeath place: New York, NYAddresses: NYC (immigrated 1921; citizen, 1943)Profession: Painter, graphic artist, sculptor, etcher, illustrator, teacher Exhibited: Weyhe Gal., 1934, 1936-40; AIC, 1935-47 (prize, 1938); AFA traveling exh., 1937; WMAA, 1938-45; PAFA, 1938-39, 1940 (prize), 1941-42; Carnegie Inst., 1942; PAFA, 1943-53; Assoc. Am. Ar., 1946 (prize), 1952 (solo); Corcoran Gal, 1947; LOC, 1949 (prize); Paris, France, 1952; Bombay, India, 1952; Gallery 10, 1961; Dintenfass Gal., N.Y., 1963; Phila. Pr. Cl., 1964 (prize); Hudson Gld. A., 1964; Great Neck, L.I., 1964; SAGA, 1964 (prize). In 1953, under the auspices of State Dept. Specialist Div., of I.E.S., he exhibited in Venezuela, Colombia, Peru, Chile, Bolivia, Uruguay, Argentina, Paraguay, with lectures in each country. Awards: F., Spanish Republic, 1934-36; fellow, Guggenheim Fnd., 1941, 1950; Nat. Inst. A. & Let. Grant, 1950. Member: NA; SAGAWork: WMAA; PAFA; MoMA; PMA; MMA; BM; AIC; NYPL; LOC; Univ. KY; San Diego Mus. FA; Newark (NJ) Pub. Lib.; Princeton Univ. (Frank Jewett Mather Coll.). Comments: A Surrealist painter whose imagery of the 1930s was greatly influenced by Dali. His full name was Federico Cristencia de Castellón y Martinez. Teacher: Columbia Univ., 1946-61; Pratt Inst., Brooklyn, 1952-61. Illustrator: Shenandoah, 1941; I Went into the Country, 1941; Bulfinch's Mythology, 1948; The Story of Marco Polo, 1954; The Man Who Changed China, 1954; The Story of J. J. Audubon, 1955; The Little Prince, 1954; The Life of Robert L. Stevenson, 1954. Reproduction of paintings on The Sumerian Civilization" for Life series "The Epic of Man," 1956; 15 paintings on "The History of Medicine" for MD magazine, 1960-61; The Story of Madame Curie...
    Category

    Mid-20th Century Cubist Nude Drawings and Watercolors

    Materials

    Paper, Ink

Recently Viewed

View All