Eclectic artist brings exhibit to Chinese mainland

The entrance to the exhibition is expansive.

"Throughout his career and through multiple media, Baseman has explored the human condition, showing through his iconic characters images of the complexity of life," Gray says. "The Door Is Always Open will prompt visitors to reflect and share their own stories about family, friends, mortality, pain and suffering, love and loss, secrets and truth."

Baseman was born in Los Angeles in 1960. His parents were Eastern European Jews who survived the Holocaust and immigrated to the United States.

As an illustrator he used to work with established publications such as the New Yorker, Time, Rolling Stone, Los Angeles Times and more. He is the artistic designer of the popular board game Cranium, and creator of a Disney TV series, Teacher's Pet.

Baseman made his hard break in the late 1990s, transiting from commercial art to fine art. He coined the term "Pervasive art", stating his goal was to "blur the lines between fine art and commercial art".

Baseman says his early sources of inspiration came from Warner Bros. cartoons, Disneyland and MAD Magazine.

With the influence from Disney, he has crossed boundaries with entertainment, spectacle and character-based work, and from Andy Warhol, the master of pop artist, he has identified with commentaries on pop culture: wanting art to be for everybody, and bringing democracy to art. "He really wants to tear down the walls...That's why he didn't want to have a white-walls exhibition for his retrospection. He wants art to be more accessible," Gray says.

Baseman will be painting on site during the exhibition, and visitors are welcome to touch the exhibits, sit on the chairs and sofa and play with some of the stuffed toys at the show.

DETAILS

The Door is Always Open: Gary Baseman's Solo Exhibition

10 am-8 pm, till Mar 5, 2015

Shanghai chi K11 Art Mall, B3, 300 Huaihai Road Middle, Luwan district

021-2310-3000

60 yuan

淮海中路300號，地下三層，K11美術館