BAST "Devilwood"

BAST is an artist whose roots are as much tied to Brooklyn as rice is to China. He was raised on a healthy dose of break dance culture where the order of the day was learning from the streets and gaining fame by gracing its walls. With roots planted firmly in the pavement it is easy to see why destruction and precarious situations are often depicted in his work. The medium is often addressed the same way, treated as if it had been left out in the rain, then later beaten to a pulp for good measure - before being brought inside and nursed back to health.



BAST's work continually incorporates a smug sense of humor, twisted story lines and his own spin on Americana - in a "gold front teeth" sort of way. Guns, grenades and Molotov cocktails are often waiting to be unleashed by a host of Disney and WB characters who seem to use their weapons as carelessly as kids use water balloons, often asking the question, "What if cartoon characters ruled the world?"



Using supermarket sale signs as his canvas, BAST's paintings are a fusion of monsters hunting their prey, devilish cartoon characters and iconic silkscreen imagery. Some pay homage to traditional fox hunting scenes with a BAST "spin" of course.



The latest BAST collection titled, "Devilwood" opening at New Image Art, August 25th 2007 is the artist's take on "hunting monsters". A shrine, or lodge if you will that houses trophies of monsters whose ancestors came from Hollywood while they themselves roamed the streets of Brooklyn. Imagine if Flava Flav revived the role of the Wolfman circa 1940? Or Biz Markie donned the costume of the Creature from the Black Lagoon? Then imagine them shot dead, stuffed and mounted on walls with their 'bling' on display for all to see. BAST incorporates three-dimensional pieces often in this collection of work; using found objects to create weaponry, adding embellishments to his monster lodge props and even reserving a private room for his own take on Entomology. The show is sure to be a freak show for the ages