Gary Baseman

GARY BASEMAN (Los Angeles, California, 1960).
Untitled. “Venison” series, 2006.
Colored pencils and graphite on paper.
Signed in the lower right corner.
Work from the “Venison” series, originally exhibited at the “Mercado” gallery in Barcelona in 2006.
Measurements: 31 x 24 cm (image); 54 x 47 cm (frame).

Part of the “Venison” series, exhibited in Barcelona in 2006, this drawing is part of one of Gary Baseman’s most characteristic narrative cycles. Drawing occupies a central place in his practice, and in this series, it was conceived as a standalone work rather than a preparatory study. Baseman created many of these works during his stay in Barcelona using local materials, developing—through light lines and a restrained use of color—his characteristic imagery of naive figures and ambiguous meanings.

The exhibition revolved around a visual narrative featuring one of his recurring mysterious characters: the “wild deer girl.” After his time and experiences in Barcelona, the artist returned to Hollywood to continue expanding this series based on desire, nature, and vulnerability.

As a special touch and a nod to the location, several of the exhibited pieces were drawn on handmade paper produced in Barcelona.

Gary Baseman has built a career spanning drawing, painting, illustration, animation, and design, with a broad international reach. He has collaborated with publications such as The New Yorker, TIME, and Rolling Stone, and is the creator of the Emmy and BAFTA Award-winning series *Teacher’s Pet*. In 2013, the Skirball Cultural Center in Los Angeles dedicated “Gary Baseman: The Door Is Always Open” to him—his first major museum retrospective.