From Bjørn Hatterud’s introduction:
Here are some disjointed quotes about Båsen's art, presented without sources: "video games and fantasy meeting the grandeur and decadence of the Baroque." "Characterized by ornamentation, complexity, and a personal mythology; the works appear as a blend of the grotesque and the decadent." "Full of references to mythology, the decadence of both past and present, fairy tales, and realism." "A sophisticated and saccharine sweet sensibility, referencing the ornate approach of masters such as Watteau and Boucher in the Late Baroque period, as well as the kitschy aesthetic of contemporary Japanese painting by artists such as Takashi Murakami and Yayoi Kusama."
It's as if Båsen's works evade straightforward sentences, mirroring his aesthetics. The moment you think you've captured the piece, it's as if your gaze slides onto yet another detail. There are so many, and at times they contradict one another. It’s not easy to grasp what one should extract from these works.
Mirrorscape, September 21st - October 20th, QB Gallery, Gabels gate 43, Oslo.
Photo: Kunstdok/Tor S. Ulstein