Make Art Your Own: Exploring Artistic Identity

Gary Baseman has always considered himself an artist. Since elementary school, he was known as the class artist, signing his drawings just like Picasso. The First Amendment about free speech was what inspired his career decision, spurring him on to major in Communications at UCLA. He then left Los Angeles and set off to New York, where he started working as an Illustrator—or as Gary calls it—a visual problem solver. His first big break was for the cover of The New York Times Book Review, which put him on the map as a commercial illustrator. He went on to publish with TIME, The Atlantic, Discover, Rolling Stone, and newspapers all across the US, including the LA Times, New York Times, Boston Globe, Wall Street Journal, and more. He also created commercial campaigns for Gatorade, Nike, Levi’s, and Mercedes-Benz.

After ten years in New York, he realized his creativity could go much further than the constraints of commercial illustration. He moved back to his hometown, Los Angeles, where he worked on pilots for animation. After a few unsuccessful attempts, Disney took notice and Teacher’s Pet became a worldwide success, earning him several Emmy and BAFTA awards. His first major exhibition was Dumb Luck and Other Paintings about Lack of Control at Mendenhall Gallery, Pasadena (US) in 1999 which began his transition from commercial to fine art. His work challenges viewers to reflect on the meaning of life’s challenges and triumphs through horrific yet endearing characters and scenes. Character development is a prominent trait in his work, with which he develops collectible toys and figurines like Toby, Dumb Luck, ChouChou, Ahwroo, and Blackie the Cat. Gary’s fine art creations have been exhibited in countless renowned museums and galleries across the globe. He has received many awards for his work, including the reputable Art Directors Club award and has received the Fullbright and Sundance New Frontier Lab fellowships. His most recent projects include collaborations with COACH, Dr. Martens, and Lladro; a documentary film Mythical Creatures about his family heritage; and a creative collaboration with music artist Moby in the documentary Moby Doc.