Makers & Mentors: Jason Basden

Turtle Medicine Woman, Mixed media and found objects

I create figures inspired by stories, myths, and my  imagination; placing my subjects far over the cusp of reality. A story can be described as a retelling of events or a way of explaining the origin of things. My work attempts to capture the essence of this through the narrative quality of my subjects. Not only through the articulation of each figure but through the multilayered process by which they were created.

Since my childhood I have enjoyed the process of fabrication.  I would manipulate various materials, exploring their potential to create new things.  If taken out of their normal context, pre-fabricated and natural objects can start a whole new life.

My work lets me revisit the past, allowing me to construct figures in ways that are learned and, at times, second nature to me.  My pieces are constructed by means of carved and modeled armatures.  Other materials are introduced to add texture, color, and richness to my forms.  The materials I use allude to the soft, delicate, and often fragile nature of the forms themselves. The figures I create reference human and animal forms yet have a system of anatomy that is all their own.  

@jasonabasden

www.jasonbasden.com

Myers Park Traditional Elementary School, Charlotte, NC