True Self Group Exhibition curated by Gary Baseman at JONATHAN LEVINE GALLERY

True Self
Group Exhibition
curated by Gary Baseman

Gallery I

October 24, 2009 through November 21, 2009

NEW YORK, NY (October 1, 2009) — Jonathan LeVine Gallery is pleased to announce True Self, a group exhibition of new works by over 40 artists, brought together by represented artist and special guest curator Gary Baseman. The theme has been left open to encourage individual interpretation and there are no size or medium restrictions, so that each participating artist has complete creative freedom on the subject at hand.

In the curator’s words: “In this exhibition, I have invited a group of painters, photographers, and sculptors, to look deep inside themselves and create an image that they feel represents their own passion or obsession. They might imagine themselves as anyone or anything—a wolf, a cupcake, a mermaid, even a skyscraper. I am requesting each artist to create an artwork that represents his or her true self. I am not asking for (nor do I want) a self-portrait. Rather, I’m requesting that the participating artists pick an icon, metaphor, or symbol that they feel represents their true essence. The desired result is a breaking of boundaries to allow a space and time where we can discover, accept, and love our true selves, feeling nirvana and heaven on earth.”

*More artists and works to come*
Partial list of participating artists include:

Adam Wallacavage
Alex Prager
Amor Muñoz
Boris Hoppek
Clayton Brothers
Cleon Peterson
Dave Cooper
David Sandlin
Deedee Cheriel
Eric White
Esther Pearl Watson
Fons Schiedon
Frieda Gossett
Gary Baseman
Gary Taxali
Gérard DuBois
Gretchen Ryan
James Jean
James Marshall (Dalek)
Jonathon Rosen
Josh Agle (Shag)

Korin Faught
Lauren Bergman
Leah Hayes
Lola
Luke Chueh
Marion Peck
Mark Ryden
Mark Todd
Martha Rich
Mike Shinoda
Miso
Natalia Fabia
Orly Cogan
Robin VanValkenburgh
Ron English
Ryan Heshka
Ryan Jacob Smith
Shannon Freshwater
The London Police
Tim Biskup
Travis Lampe

ABOUT THE CURATOR Gary Baseman is a man of many talents, besides being a pervasive artist and painter, he is also an illustrator, toy designer, and TV/movie producer. His artwork has been exhibited in New York, Los Angeles, Rome, Taipei, Barcelona, and Berlin. He had an installation at the Pasadena Museum of California Art and a two-man show at Laguna Art Museum. Baseman blurs the line between toy culture and fine art with his strong iconic images, which are at once playful and dark, childlike and adult, id-driven and thought provoking. Baseman is also the creator and executive producer of Teacher’s Pet, a critically acclaimed animated series and film, a winner of multiple Emmy awards. Baseman’s artwork can be seen in The New Yorker, TIME, The New York Times, Rolling Stone, and on the best selling board game Cranium.

SPECIAL THANKS:
Our gratitude goes out to The Mexican Cultural Institute of New York for their financial support in relation to exhibiting the work of Amor Muñoz.