Gary Baseman

Gary Baseman (born 1960, Los Angeles) is an interdisciplinary artist who investigates history, heritage, and the human condition—especially love, longing, and loss. Through unique iconography and fantastical visual narratives that celebrate “the beauty of the bittersweetness of life,” his work brings together the worlds of popular culture and fine art. Recent projects include collaborations with COACH, Dr. Martens and Lladro; a documentary film “Mythical Creatures” about his family heritage; and an international traveling retrospective The Door is Always Open that featured hundreds of his paintings, photographs, videos, and toy and costume designs.

Baseman’s multifaceted career includes illustration for clients including The New Yorker, Rolling Stone, and TIME, and the bestselling board game Cranium. Baseman is the creator and executive producer of Teacher’s Pet (ABC/Disney), a multiple Emmy and BAFTA award-winning animation series and feature film. He is a frequent speaker at international conferences on graphic and multidisciplinary arts and visual communications, and states “Art can be appropriate in almost any medium, from print to TV to film to paintings to consumer products, as long as you stay true to your aesthetic and have a strong sense of meaning.”