Marc Baseman

Baseman’s medium is graphite and the scale of his drawings 2 1/4 by 2 3/4 inches in size. His work is impeccably precise in the tradition of miniature art, reminiscent of Persian miniatures and medieval illuminated manuscripts. Each meticulously rendered drawing presents a “mini novel” which begs to be deciphered. The artist explains “I have created my own vocabulary, not with words. . . but with images. There is recurring imagery in my work, like recurring characters in a series of novels. There is no narrative to my drawings. They are a mix of memory and desire.

Visually complex, Marc Baseman’s drawings contain multiple layers of images usually anchored by a large central figure. Figures, animals, buildings, vehicles and landscape elements coexist in a surrealistic tableau, which entices the viewer to actively experience the work in an attempt to understand this wonderfully bizarre world.

Baseman was born in Philadelphia, PA. Graduated from the University of Arizona with a BA.  He lives and works in Arroyo Seco, NM and is represented by James Kelly Contemporary, Santa Fe; Richard Levy Gallery, Albuquerque and in New York City by Edward Tyler Nahem. His work is in numerous private collections in New Mexico and New York.