Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 5

Stephen Basso
The Wine Merchant female figure with large black wine bottles vibrant color

2020

About the Item

Soft pastel on toned sanded archival paper suitable for framing under glass. Signed by artist ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imagination, wry wit and fearless color. His shrewd social observations often translate into eerily humorous figurative scenes and narratives. Mr. Basso’s works evoke a high level of inquiry. The fanciful, yet keenly observed characters are unpredictable and evocative. The viewer vacillates between surprise, delight, and consternation. A Brooklyn native, much of Basso's wildly imaginative artwork was inspired by travel to Jamaica, Puerto Rico, and especially Mexico. Basso is particularly drawn to Latin American art, channeling its mix of Western and African influences and imagery into his vibrant, often surrealistic work. Combining a New York and a Mexican sensibility, he says of his work, "There is a natural surreal quality to Mexico that can collide with its harsh realities. One might call it bittersweet. It is often bawdy, but rarely vulgar, and images are everywhere. Love, hate, fear desire and of course, humor, never go out of style.” And he adds, " I like mixing high ideals with American irreverence." The elements of mystery, escapism, and humor blended with reality define his art. It is of a personal nature consisting of a cast of characters that inhabit the stage between the extreme highs and lows of life, a state of limbo where dreamlike scenarios are often pulled back to the reality of daily existence. Of his process, Mr. Basso says, "The paintings and drawings begin with objects around my home and studio, photos from various sources, and people I know, have known, or have yet to meet." By in large, Basso is self taught. (After initially attending the School of Visual Arts for Illustration, he realized painting was more engaging for him.) Seeking emotional honesty, he looked to the work of several "mentors": Max Beckmann, Francisco Goya, Willem de Kooning , Philip Guston , Marsden Hartley and Albert Pinkham Ryder - artists that spoke to the human condition.
  • Creator:
    Stephen Basso (1953, American)
  • Creation Year:
    2020
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 27 in (68.58 cm)Width: 19 in (48.26 cm)Depth: 1 in (2.54 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
  • Gallery Location:
    Brooklyn, NY
  • Reference Number:
    1stDibs: LU1339115823952

More From This Seller

View All
Twilight narrative pastel painting bright color beach scene couples
By Stephen Basso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
soft pastel on toned paper . This work is mounted on archival foam board with clear plastic to protect surface. Framing under glass is recommended *ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso...
Category

2010s Expressionist Drawings and Watercolor Paintings

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

the sculptor, charcoal and pastel
By Stephen Basso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
narrative depiction of sculptor at work Pastel and charcoal on toned paper unframed *ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet ...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Charcoal, Archival Paper, Pastel

cry in the wilderness a little girl consumed by grief
By Stephen Basso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Soft pastel on toned paper signed and dated by the artist depicting a small child being carried by relatives at what appears to be a funeral parlor.
Category

Early 2000s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Caribbean Mermaid soft tropical color Mermaid and angel fish mythical subject
By Stephen Basso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Soft pastel on toned sanded archival paper suitable for framing under glass. Signed and dated bottom. Part of an ongoing series of mermaids by the artist
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

Middletown ..Cafe scene standing woman between two plants warm red color
By Stephen Basso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
ABOUT Stephen Basso Stephen Basso's highly original pastels and oil paintings are romantic, yet thought provoking fantasies. His whimsical works are alive with boundless imaginat...
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper, Pen

Carousel humorous dreamlike narrative story expressive human condition greys
By Stephen Basso
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Soft pastel and charcoal on toned archival toned paper signed and dated bottom left . On view at the table Rasa Gallery in Brooklyn NY.
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Pastel, Archival Paper

You May Also Like

Expressionist Ink, Pastel, Crayon Drawing Jewish American Modernist Ben Zion WPA
By Ben-Zion Weinman
Located in Surfside, FL
Expressionist ink and pastel crayon drawing of beans (carobs, flowers?) in pods Hand signed. Born in 1897, Ben-Zion Weinman celebrated his European Jewish heritage in his visual wo...
Category

Mid-20th Century Expressionist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Crayon, Pastel, Ink

Untitled - Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian contemporary painting
By Parmis Sayous
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel on paper Created in 2019 in Paris, France Unique work Signed by the artist
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

The owner III - Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian contemporary painter
By Parmis Sayous
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel on paper Created in Paris, France Unique work Signed by the artist
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

The owner II - Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian contemporary painter
By Parmis Sayous
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel on paper Created in 2018 in Paris, France Unique work Signed by the artist
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Untitled - Parmis Sayous 21st Century drawing, Iranian contemporary painting
By Parmis Sayous
Located in Paris, FR
Pastel on paper Created in 2018 in Paris, France Unique work Signed by the artist
Category

2010s Expressionist Figurative Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Pastel

Expressionist Color Drawing Cobalt Glass Vintage Frame Modernist Ben Zion WPA
By Ben-Zion Weinman
Located in Surfside, FL
Expressionist ink and pastel crayon drawing of flowers in vase. Framed in a vintage cobalt blue glass original frame Hand signed and dated Framed it measures 13.5 X 10.5 The actual ...
Category

1950s Expressionist Still-life Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Oil Crayon, Pastel, Ink

Recently Viewed

View All