Hernan Bas- moderinst
I sadly missed the Bas show at the Brooklyn Museum show this June, but did make it to Lehmann Maupin for his solo show a couple of days ago. I was interested by these works because they were such a throwback to early 20th century modernist w/ their muddy colors and their use of thick expressionist oil paint. Up close, sections of his painting look like they could be a from an early cubist Picasso or a later De Kooning. But look even closer you can see swipes of sparkly glaze and a distinct use of tape that is very contemporary, trendy even. I can’t say I found these paintings beautiful, but they are compelling to look at, partly because they mix all these competing elements together with such a dynamic gracefulness.
