ERIC FIRESTONE GALLERY PRESENTS

SEAFOAM, New Works by BÄST

JUNE 15 - JULY 3, 2013

Opening Reception June 15, 6-8pm

EAST HAMPTON, New York: Eric Firestone Gallery is pleased to announce, SEAFOAM, a solo exhibition of new works by Brooklyn-based artist, Bäst, on view through July 3rd, with an opening  reception on Saturday, June 15 from 

6:00 - 8:00pm. 

As Bäst's work continues to gain notoriety both on the streets and in the galleries, he remains one of the few truly anonymous artists.  This refusal to reveal his identity demonstrates Bäst's dedication to creating pieces that speak earnestly and humorously to the residents of New York.  His anonymity is particularly powerful throughout the work exhibited in SEAFOAM.  The sculptural assemblages and paintings emphasize the childlike purity of a man never tempted by the limelight.  These vividly painted wooden sculptures incorporate gathered materials from Bäst's home shores of Coney Island.  As a master of collage and layering, Bäst uses dozens of rows of eyes for the faces of his characters, seemingly revealing his desire for more than his own pair.  SEAFOAM is a masterful culmination of Bäst's painting and sculpture, highlighting his unique ability to subvert formalistic practices and more importantly, the public eye.

Writer RJ Rushmore notes, "Bäst has spent over a decade stenciling, postering and tagging the streets of New York City, where he has proven himself a master of a gritty urban aesthetic and a representative of the resilient spirit of the city's underdogs. Through the complex physical layering of collage, figures, advertisements, and patterns, Bäst often represents contradictory conceptions of the city in a single artwork, hiding the rough-and-tumble reality of life within beauty, humor, and Disneyfication.  Is Bäst an untrained obsessive-labeled-artist or a master observer and creator? The man behind the name hides in the shadows as one of the last great anonymous street artists. Bäst is a man who knows his city, but we may never really know him." 

Bäst has exhibited internationally including galleries in New York, London, Paris and Berlin. Recent exhibitions include The Bone Yard Project, Pima Air & Space Museum, Pima AZ, co-curated by Carlo McCormick and Eric Firestone. 

Eric Firestone Gallery, established in New York in 2010, focuses on bringing contemporary and historic art, new genres and popular culture to the public. Eric Firestone Gallery represents a number of artists and estates and such projects as The Boneyard Project and Return Trip have garnered worldwide recognition. The gallery has been featured in Art in America, Bomb, Artnews, The New York Times, The Huffington Post, GQ, New York Magazine, Hampton's Magazine, Newsday and many other publications and websites.