I had the chance to ask the incredible William Basso about his intriguing work!
Check out the interview below!
1. Tell us a bit about yourself and how you became an artist…
Well, like most artists, (and probably most people in general), I started making art as a young child, but I was very fortunate to grow up in a home where both my parents were artists. My Dad made his living as an illustrator. Art was just a part of our lives, and there was always art on the walls of all different types in basically every room of the house. We would visit museums and galleries on a regular basis and we had a big library of reference books, so this was a wonderful setting for my own artistic development.
2. How did studying illustration at Parsons School of Design help you cultivate a career in the arts?
What are your thoughts on art education and what skills does one need to be an artist?
One of the great things about studying at Parsons was that it was located in New York City and that in and of itself was (and still is) such an inspirational place. There are many art galleries and world class museums to visit. I saw a lot of films too and my eyes were opened to many great classics because of the wonderful revival theaters around town. The cultural landscape of the city is so rich…the people, the neighbourhoods. I could walk it for hours at a time and never get bored.
For me art school wasn’t really a training ground for technique in the classical sense. It was instrumental in creating an awareness of a lot of different types of art, photography, etc., but one of the most important things I learned was about creating “concepts”…how to conceptualize things and convey an idea. This enhanced and broadened my point of view, especially in the film related work that I would undertake later.
As far as art education is concerned, I think that it has probably changed dramatically in this digital age. There is so much info online now that one could literally teach themselves a lot of what they need to know. That is not to say that there aren’t some very good teachers out there, and I’m not putting down schools, but it really just depends on the individual and the school. As I mentioned, if you really, truly want to learn, there’s a lot out there for you to pull from. There’s a lot more info on business practices now also, online and in some great books. This was virtually nonexistent in the early 80s when I attended school for illustration. You got together a portfolio and you met with art directors hoping to get some sort of assignment. I think that there is a lot more self motivation now. You have to create your own opportunities.
If you want to do art as a hobby then you don’t need business skills. If you want to do it as a career then you absolutely must become aware of the business side of things and study that carefully. Look at what other successful artists are doing and see what you can take and apply to your own situation.
3. What is the most challenging part of being an artist and are there any misconceptions about being creative that you don’t like?
I don’t know if I can name any misconceptions, but one of the more challenging things for me is to try and improve the work each time out. The problem is that you can get hung up on certain things and the stuff ends up taking too long while possibly becoming stale. I think sometimes it’s better to just get it down without over thinking, which can be detrimental. I try not to think too much (which is difficult). Often I’ll look at an initial study I’ve done for a piece and it’s almost always better than where I’m at on the final version. So, I have to go and try to get back onto the original track again because by that point I’m starting to loose my way. It’s a constant battle.
4. It’s really interesting to learn that after graduating in illustration, the early part of your artistic career was spent creating special effects for films.
How did this opportunity come about and how do you think this period of time has gone on to effect the type of work you create now?
I had always been interested in movies of all kinds, but I was particularly drawn to films of the macabre, the mysterious or anything with a fantasy element. I also got exposed to what you would call “Monster Magazines” as a young kid…things like Famous Monsters of Filmland published by James Warren in the 1960s and 70s. At first, horror films and the like were very frightening to me, but this then became more of a fascination. After movies like STAR WARS (1977) and ALIEN (1979) came out, I took a big interest in how films like these were made…the art direction and production design, etc.
I ended up attending art college as an illustration major, but my interest in films and special effects continued and expanded. In the post “Star Wars” era, information about special effects became much more available and many magazines were featuring articles on this stuff. A major turning point in my life came when a wonderful magazine called CINEFEX published an extensive early career retrospective on the work of special effects makeup artist and seven time Oscar winner Rick Baker. The main thing about the article that really impressed me, was that it showed Baker’s early beginnings as a very creative and talented kid working out of his bedroom and garage in suburbia, develop into an absolute master of his craft. His story captured my imagination in a very profound way and showed what was possible if you were focused and worked hard enough. Rick Baker is one of my biggest artistic heroes and his work had a tremendous influence on me. He inspired me to learn how to sculpt and if it wasn’t for his example, I actually don’t know if I would have gotten into doing film work.
As soon as I got out of art school I was really focused on learning how to make rubber masks, creatures and create monster makeups for a living rather than going into illustration. After working in the movie business for about twenty years, I began to become interested in creating personal art again.
There are a number of ways that the film work has influenced what I do now. I utilize a lot of mixed media, but I see a direct correlation between the film work and the fact that I have used photography in my work or more specifically, photography of my own fabricated objects and characters. In films, you’re creating artificial worlds to tell a story…building sets, props and special effects. I’m doing similar things but my images don’t move and the result is a mixed media painting.
5. Your work is an extremely interesting multi-layered process that involves various different mediums such as painting, sculpture and photography.
What led you to combining such mediums to create mixed media art and how has your work evolved over the years?
Additionally, do you think that there are any advantages of creating mixed media images rather than focusing on using one medium?
Well, I’ve always been interested in a number of mediums like sculpture, drawing, photography, painting, collage, etc., as well as film and special effects as I’ve mentioned. There were a number of photographers mainly during late 19th and early 20th century that would be called “Pictorialists”. They believed that the camera was a tool much like a paintbrush and created atmospheric images that weren’t simply recording reality. They discovered that the medium could be manipulated in order to give a photographic image a painterly effect, for example. Rather than recording reality, the image became an artistic interpretation. Although I’m not doing exactly what they were doing, there are some similarities with the way I work.
The computer is a wonderful tool and it assists me in various ways. I use digital cameras and edit in Adobe Photoshop, but this is only a means to an end. I’ve never considered myself a “digital” artist. I often create small objects and figures as a starting point and these are based on drawings that I’ve made. These objects and figures are made from a variety of materials such as clay, cardboard, string, paper, wire, tape, wood, hair and odd bits of cloth. These are photographed simply using very basic lighting and various prints are made which then become the foundation for my paintings and assemblages. There are certain “cinematic” aspects to this process…creating the “Mis-en-scene”, like the arrangement of actors, props and scenery on a stage for a theatrical or film production. As my work has evolved, I’ve been experimenting more with the application of the media, paints and so on, creating textures and areas of flatness in the shapes within the compositions. This will continue to evolve and hopefully reveal exciting things.
I don’t look at my processes as an advantage or disadvantage, it’s something that grew organically based on a distillation of many different ideas and influences.
6. In a previous interview you stated that you like combining the use of primitive technology with the aesthetics of the past, such as early cinema and theatre to create an atmosphere in your work.
How does using nostalgia within a piece of art affect the reading of it, for both the viewer and for you as the artist creating it, and if no one saw your work, would you still create it?
I don’t think that I’m using nostalgia, per se. I find inspiration in certain things, particularly things that are from the past, or more specifically things that evoke and reveal particular moods to me. You mentioned the primitive technology…things like gears, ropes and wooden planks nailed together, that kind of hand made feeling inspires me. In my imagination I see a type of theatricality in those aesthetics. My working methods also have an influence on the mood and flavor of the pieces, especially when I’m creating and working with the various objects and hand made characters. The notion of transience and decay also creates an autumnal mood. I always loved the autumn season and Halloween time, which factors in as an inspiration, particularly in the retro or vintage sense. The theatricality of masks, costumes and all of the stylized, mysterious imagery is very inspiring.
I think that I would still create things for myself regardless, but human connection is something that I feel enriches your experience as an artist.
7. When you are creating a new image, what is your creative process like? How do you get from concept to final image?
Typically, what ends up happening is that an idea for a piece emerges from just simply starting to work…that is playing around with something…making a drawing or collage for example, perhaps using studies done in Adobe Photoshop that I’ve filed away…photographs that I’ve taken of my own fabricated objects, etc. The studies themselves also begin through playing and they may come from a notion I have or they may arrive through more of a subconscious approach, but they usually remain unfinished, in which case they get put in a folder in my computer for later use. This is really my raw material and I cross reference some of these sketched out ideas in order to create something new. I basically keep feeding ideas into these files, like a sort of bank…saving them, and out of those, the finished pieces organically grow. Something that I’d like to explore is working in series as many artists often do. What I mean specifically is essentially doing variations on the same general idea or image.
8. In the last few years, there has been quite a large rise in macabre or ‘dark’ art. What do you think that people get from looking at such work and why do you think that you are drawn to more darker and psychological themes? Do you consider your art to be cathartic outlet?
I think that throughout history there has always been a fascination with macabre art. One reason may be that it’s a way for us to help deal with our own feelings of mortality. By depicting our fears and anxieties, especially in regard to death, we may be able to come to terms with some of these abstract emotions, giving them a kind of “face”. Also, over the past several decades, horror, sci fi, and comic book based films and TV shows, have become wildly popular. They have become a big part of our culture, and I think that this has influenced the market for macabre or fantastic art in a big way. It’s hard for me to say why I’m drawn to things that could be considered macabre or “dark”. I actually consider my own work to be more like a form of surrealistic fantasy rather than straight up “horror”. My goal is not to frighten or disturb people…I’m not ever thinking that.
9. Do you think that art should be a reflection of the world we live in, or do you consider your work to exist in its own world, separate from our reality?
Also, how important is imagination in your work?
This is going to depend on the individual artist, but I think that all art probably has some basis in the world we live in whether consciously or unconsciously because none of us lives in a pure bubble. There is always some sort of contact with the world or nature. Now in my own case, I think to a large extent the work exists in its own imaginary world, but there are also connections to the world we live in and that can give it a certain relatability.
To answer your question about imagination specifically, it is very important to my work because I’m building my own worlds. I may base aspects of it on things that exist, but it’s all filtered through my own imagination.
10. One of the biggest aspects of being an artist in today’s society is the use of social media to build a platform and audience for your work.
What are your thoughts on social media and how has it impacted your practice? Is it something you enjoy and how do you balance creating work and engaging with your audience?
For those of us artists who were around before social media, it’s a bit difficult to remember what that was like because it has become such an important part of our daily lives now. I have a bit of a love/hate relationship with it as many probably do, but I believe that it has been important in building an audience for the work. It would take a lot longer to do that without it. As I mentioned, I have mixed feelings about it. I think it can be a great way to get your work in front of many people fairly quickly and engage with followers, but it can also be difficult to use at times due to the constantly changing technological rhythms within the platforms. I think it’s very important to budget your time when using it because it can very easily take time away from doing actual artwork. I have a tendency to follow a lot of other artists, so although I enjoy looking at wonderful work, it can become distracting. Moderation is really the key.
11. How important is it for you to have an audience for your work and do you have a specific viewer or demographic in mind when you create work?
You certainly need an audience if you expect to make an income through your art, but I think most creative people enjoy having some kind of audience and the reason is that it’s always great to interact and connect with other people. That’s what I believe is so wonderful about any form of art…music, theater, writing, etc…the communication. In terms of a specific audience or demographic, I don’t really think about that while creating. That sort of comes later when you engage in the business side of things. Once the actual work is created, then you must know who your audience is. During the actual creating, I’m thinking about what I personally would like to see. What happens is there are other people out there that like the same things you do, and they make up your audience.
12. There are quite a lot of different ways that artists can present their work online, but more often than not, the work is an extension of them. This raises interest about the person behind the art and a lot of artists respond to this interest in different ways.
How present are you as the creator of your work within your social media posts and how do you try and be personable online?
Do you prefer to remain more mysterious or do you like presenting yourself online?
This is something that I’m working on, because I’m more of a shy person. Some artists feature photos of themselves at work often and so their audience gets to kind of know them visually, making a direct connection with the work and the creator. I think this can be very useful and important. To answer the question, I guess I’ve been mysterious in the sense that I almost never post photos of myself, but on the other hand, I do try to talk to my audience and let them know a bit about what I’m thinking in terms of my work and process or some of the things that I find inspiring.
13. Community is such a key part of being an artist. Do you feel like you belong to a wider art community and how do you build connections with other artists that are mutually respectful?
I do feel like I belong to a community, partially through meeting other artists at galleries but also on social media. I guess this can happen when artists work within a certain “genre”, for example. You exhibit at the same galleries and have mutual followers. You are interested in similar things. It appears to work that way, not always, but for the most part. I like a lot of different types of art, but the communities often seem to revolve around similarities. I’ve found that social media is very good for connecting with other artists because many times an artist you admire will also like your work and that can be the start of the connection, for example.
14. What has your experience of exhibiting your work been like and how did you know that your work was ‘good enough’ to exhibit?
What does the exhibiting experience entail and what are the main benefits?
Additionally, do you have advice for artists who might be looking to exhibit their work?
For the most part my experience working with galleries has been good, although that does not mean that it’s always easy to sell work just because a gallery is showing you. This may be a perception that people have. Some galleries promote you more than others, but the reality is that in most cases the artist must promote the work as well. There is plenty of info out there regarding all the do’s and don’ts when working with galleries so I won’t go into all of that here. I first starting showing in galleries through knowing other artists. They liked my work after having seen some of it online and invited me to participate in some group shows that they were curating. Group shows are a good way to get into the gallery scene, and some galleries have “open calls” where potential artists can submit work for possible inclusion in a group exhibition.
The internet has changed the way people see and buy art and many artists now sell their work without working with galleries. I think that galleries are important in addition to this because for one, people can view the work in person, but also a gallery can potentially expose your work to a more focused collector audience.
15. In your opinion, what makes a good piece of art? What was the last image/piece of media that captivated you and what was it about it that left an impression on you?
This is a very broad subject and it is one of those things that is totally subjective and almost impossible to say because of one’s own personal tastes. I think that there can be certain artistic choices that are more successful than others, but generally if a work of art moves you, it was successful. Let’s say that a good piece of art needs to capture the viewer’s imagination in some way…it needs to make a connection with their nervous system.
16. Is it important for an artist to have a message in their work and if so, how do you find the balance between creating work that is meaningful to others yet also part of your cohesive narrative?
A “message” is a very subjective concept when it comes to art. The viewer can potentially read things in a work of art that were not intentional, but somehow have a meaning for them. This is a wonderful thing. Sometimes a so-called message can seem contrived or obvious, while in other cases it can be very powerful. I mostly work in a more subconscious way in that I don’t set out to convey a particular message but more of a feeling and I’m excited by the idea that someone can participate creatively when viewing the piece, by bringing their own imagination into play.
18. Why do you create art and what is the role of the artist in this contemporary era?
Additionally, do you think that art is still regarded as important and do people still value the time and effort it takes to create something?
It may sound very cliche, but I create art because I must. What I mean by this is that I make art to make money, but I also make it because I enjoy it. It’s wonderful doing something you really enjoy as your job. I also enjoy sharing it with people…it’s not just an ego thing, I really enjoy that people like what I do in the same way that I enjoy looking at other artists work. As humans we share things with each other…we communicate to one another and art is a part of that. There will always be art and artists as long as we continue to feel emotions. I do think people value the time and effort that goes into all of this, despite the fact that we live in a very fast paced culture of instant disposable gratification. Just to touch on an earlier question about the value of art galleries, a gallery or museum allows people to really interact intimately with an art piece, and I think that the appreciation of the work and effort involved is sometimes easier to see when viewed in person instead of scrolling through digital images on Instagram, for example.
19. Do you believe there is a link between anguish and the creation of art? Is the “suffering artist” a truth, or just a myth?
Also, do you think that an image is better if it’s more personal to the artist?
It’s probably a myth in the romantic sense, but I don’t think that anything of value ever really comes about easily, even though it may appear that way. I think that there is always a struggle when an artist or creative person makes something, whether you’re an actor, musician, painter, writer, whatever. This does not mean that the struggle can’t also be pleasurable, I don’t think you need to live a miserable life to create good art, but I think that there will always be a sort of battle that goes on. Sometimes it’s very frustrating, but if that were not there, you wouldn’t get the full satisfaction from creating. If an artist is truly invested in an artwork, it will always be better than if he or she wasn’t.
20. Being an artist and creating art can often be a very personal pursuit, in which people may or may not understand your intentions for creating the type of work you create. Do you find being an artist to be isolating or liberating, and what do you think your work says about you as a person?
I’m not entirely sure what my work says about me as a person, but I would hope that the viewer experiences something interesting and worthwhile. The artist and their work aren’t always one and the same thing. Brilliant artists who create work that would be perceived as joyous can be off-putting, disagreeable people, for example.
I think that there is a need for most artists to be isolated to some extent and I find that in my own case, being alone in my studio is necessary for my imagination to come into focus. I don’t want to sound pretentious, but it’s very important for me to be able to delve deeply into these non-logical zones and allow things to happen organically without distraction, if that makes sense.
21. What are you currently working on and where can people find more about you and your work?
One of the recent things that I’ve been working on is a modest book about my work. It’s a kind of scrapbook really, of images, ideas and a bit of process. I’m hoping to have it available sometime this year. I’ve also been continuing to create more sculptural pieces in addition to my paintings.
