About the DesignsThe fascination with life after death—the notion of transcendence of the soul—is one of the most curious aspects of the human condition. Gary Baseman explores the afterlife in his signature capricious and surreal style with depictions of the four states of the soul: Heaven, Hell, Limbo, and Purgatory. Heaven is represented by The All-Seeing Eye, a motif that can be traced back to Egyptian mythology. The beheaded maiden being devoured by the gatekeeper of the underworld depicts Hell as a place of eternal damnation where the soul is dismembered or subjected to excruciating pain. The severed finger symbolizes Limbo, a state for souls not assigned to Hell because they did not commit a deadly sin, but are excluded from Heaven as they have not been touched by the hand of God. Lastly, in Purgatory, the condition of purification in which the souls of those who die in a state of grace are made ready for heaven, a maiden is seen in suspension between two states. The skeleton, which reaches out to her, suggests the transcendence of the soul from the physical to spiritual realm. | Artist BioPervasive Artist. Painter. TV/Movie Producer. Toy Designer. Curator.

The LA Times describes his art “adorably perverse.” One of the leaders of the Los Angeles underground art movement, who coined the term “pervasive art,” Mr. Baseman blurs the line between toy culture and fine art with his strong iconic images, both playful and dark, childlike and adult, id driven and thought-provoking. Mr. Baseman’s work is surreal. Innocent. Lustful. Honest. Dripping with Desire. Creamy. Gooey. Everywhere.

Mr. Baseman has exhibited around the world in Rome, Los Angeles, NYC, Taipei, Barcelona, Sao Paulo, Berlin, Tel Aviv, St. Petersburg, and Moscow, including an installation at the Pasadena Museum of California Art, paintings and sculptures in MOCA Shanghai, and a two-man show at the Laguna Art Museum titled Pervasion. Mr. Baseman’s previous incarnations include the three-time Emmy award winning creator/executive producer of the animated series and film “Teacher’s Pet;” The New Yorker, Time, and Rolling Stone artist; and designer for the best selling game “Cranium.” Entertainment Weekly Magazine named Baseman as one of the 100 Most Creative People in Entertainment. Baseman’s newest book “Dying of Thirst,” based on his work from his solo exhibition “I Melt in Your Presence,” at the Modernism Gallery in SF has been published by Last Gasp. | All Rights Reserved. © 2008-2009 Gary Baseman