Gary Baseman Bitching

I was a sophomore at Massachusetts College of Art when I first heard about Gary Baseman. He was giving a talk at my school and there were posters EVERYWHERE...in true Baseman style. I attended his talk and I was truly enlightened by the work that he was making. He was an illustrator, TV show creator, and fine artist all wrapped into one! He had it all. I followed his career and loved studying his paintings/illustrations. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't influenced by him...even a little bit. In some ways, Gary Baseman inspired me to make the type of art that I want to make, even if I was working with a professional client.

The turning point came for me in 2004. Gary Baseman was speaking at the ICA in Boston, so again, I decided to trek out in the cold and hear what he had to say. The talk started as the curator was working out some technical kinks with the projector. Gary Baseman stood at the front of the small theatre with his sketchbook in hand. He was doodling as we all watched...somewhat awkwardly. He looked up, held out his sketchbook, and said, "Oh sorry, I have a deadline for Time Magazine in two days." There was something about that comment that left a sour taste in my mouth. In some ways I haven't looked at Gary Baseman's work the same.

Why? Well, I don't think he's pushing the envelope anymore. Yes, his work is everywhere. It's in galleries, on designer toys, and he's still illustrating for major publications. Yet the content of his paintings are getting old. They all look very similar. Same characters, similar color palettes, and similar themes. I noticed it more than ever today when I was flipping through his new book. I was a little bored. I dare say that he is trapped within the box that every artist is sacred to be locked in. Maybe this is unfair for me to say, but it looks as if he's on auto pilot just creating these for the next big gallery show. I could be wrong. See similarities below:




I'm sure he has made more money than 99% of commercial artists. But at what price? Here's a little poem that I love. This may be bold attributing this to Gary Baseman, but hey, this is America.

He found a formula for drawing comic rabbits:
This formula for drawing comic rabbits paid,
So in the end he could not change the tragic habits
This formula for drawing comic rabbits made.

Even with all my ranting and raving, I still admire Baseman's body of work and self-promotional skills...I just wish he'd mix it up a little.

Children's Book Gig

Before my trip to Nicaragua, I was asked by Penguin Publishing to submit sketches for an upcoming kids chapter book series about monsters...yes monsters! The day I got back, I was notified that I was chosen as the illustrator for the series. I'll most likely be chronicling the process as I work on each book. Here are the samples that I submitted.