BIOGRAPHY

Martin Basher’s painting and sculptural work is situated in the lineage of display-based artistic practices. Working with the languages of retail and advertising, Basher explores the emotional charge of common objects and images. From his trademark paintings of gradated stripes and photo-real beaches to sculptural installations serving as displays for consumer goods, Basher activates spaces of sublimated psychological desire, at once familiar and strange for the altered retail scenarios they present. In these complex displays, Basher invokes unspoken drives, and the mundane and exclusive, the highbrow and lowbrow, and the public and private impulses that inform us as consuming individuals.

EXHIBITIONS

Birds of Paradise, September 15 – October 27, 2020

Staycation, April 7 – May 30, 2020

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie, May 12 – June 23, 2018

The Armory Show, March 2 – 5, 2017

A Guide to Benefits, June 13 – July 25, 2015

CV

Martin Basher

1979

Born in Wellington, New Zealand.

Lives and works in New York, NY.

Education

2008

MFA Columbia University, New York, NY

2003

BA in Fine Art Columbia University, New York, NY

Selected Solo Exhibitions

2020

Birds of Paradise, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA

Marfa Invitational, Ballroom Marfa, Marfa, TX (forthcoming)

2019

Untitled, Starkwhite, Aukland, NZ

2018

Strawberry Coconut Cream Pie, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA

2017

Devil at the Gates of Heaven, George Fraser Gallery, University of Auckland, Auckland, NZ

Hawaiian Tropic, Starkwhite Gallery, Auckland, NZ

The Armory Show, with Anat Ebgi, New York, NY

2015

A Guide to Benefits, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA

Jizzy Velvet, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

2014

Peppermint Schnapps, City Gallery of Wellington, Wellington, NZ

2013

Untitled, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

2012

Package and Handling, Saatchi & Saatchi, New York, NY

Armory Show, with Starkwhite, New York, NY

2011

Paradise Salé, Rockefeller Apartments, New York, NY

2010

States of Peace and Calm w. Personal Touch and Easy Ordering, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

High Class Boner Meds/Paradise Sale, Lopdell House, Titirangi, NZ

2009

Free Spirit No Interest, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

2008

The Spectacular Fall, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

2007

Martin Basher, Susan Inglett, New York, NY

2006

Blackwater, Hirschfeld Gallery, City Gallery Wellington, NZ

Fine Dining, High Street Project, Christchurch, NZ

Selected Two Person and Group Exhibitions

2021

Good Company: The Remix, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA

2020

Staycation, Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA

2017

Im/material: Painting in the Digital Age, Sophia Contemporary Gallery, London, UK

Art Los Angeles Contemporary, with Anat Ebgi, Los Angeles, CA

2016

miart, with Anat Ebgi, Milan, IT

Subliminal Shifts, Tracy Williams Gallery, New York, NY

2014

Martin Basher, Henry Codax, Brand New Gallery, Milan IT

On The Blue Shore of Silence, Tracy Williams Gallery, New York, NY

Duck Rabbit, curated by Jason Bailer-Losh, Anat Ebgi, LA

Display, curated by Barry Rosenberg, Contemporary Art Galleries, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT

Anomie, Dowd Gallery, State University of New York, Cortland, NY

2013

Freedom Farmers, curated by Natasha Conland, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland New Zealand

Sydney Contemporary Art Fair, Sydney, AU

Auckland Art Fair, Auckland, NZ

Sweatpanting, Orgy Park, Brooklyn, NY

2012

Toi Aotearoa, Auckland Art Gallery, Auckland, NZ

Strangers In A Strange Land, LMAK, New York, NY

Group Show, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

Temptations, Extra Extra, Philadelphia, PA

2011

Group Show, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ

Chinese Takeout, Art in General, New York, NY

2010

Total Recall, The Public Art Fund, MetroTech Plaza, Brooklyn, NY

Collected, Cuchifritos, New York, NY

Unspecific Objects, Thierry Goldbery Projects, New York, NY

The Grand Century, Grand Rapids Art Museum, Grand Rapids, MI

Dancing Feet, curated by Colby Bird & Tova Carlin, 179 Canal, New York, NY

Light Black and Silver, Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, NZ

2009

Heavier Than A Death In The Family, 25CPW, New York, NY

Two Degrees of Separation, Gallery Satori, New York, NY

Autumn, Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY

Magazine, Gambia Castle, Auckland, NZ

Reality Sandwiches, Artnews Projects, Berlin, DE

The Perfect Human, Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL

The Armory Show, for Socrates Sculpture Park. New York, NY

2008

Spaghetti Junction, 64zero3 Gallery, Christchurch, NZ

The New Academy, Lehman Art Center, North Andover, MA

Emerging Artist Fellowship Exhibition, Socrates Sculpture Park, Queens, NY

Summer Mixtape, Exit Art, New York, NY

Prescience, Dorsch Gallery, Miami, FL

M.F.A. Thesis Exhibition. Fisher-Landau Center, Queens, NY

Supernatural. Thierry Goldberg Projects, New York, NY

2007

2007 ARTSPACE Editions. ARTSPACE, Auckland, NZ

Vanishing Point, Mary Newton Gallery, Wellington, NZ

Dream Wheels, Mahara Gallery, Waikanae, NZ

First Year MFA Exhibition. Columbia University, New York, NY

2006

HEADWAY. ARTSPACE, Auckland, NZ

Western Way. Mary Newton Gallery, Wellington, NZ

Curatorial Projects

2010

Lovers, Starkwhite, Auckland, NZ; Kevin Appel, Martin Basher, Whitney Bedford, Tamar Halpern, Amy Howden-Chapman, Kate Newby, Peter Nicholls, Brie Ruais, Layla Rudneva-MacKay, David Scanavino and Gordon Walters

2009

Dance Sons and Daughters Dance!, The Physics Room, Christchurch, NZ, and Gambia Castle, Auckland, NZ, Leigh Ledare, Rashawn Griffin, Mads Lynnerup, Colby Bird and Wu Ingrid Tsang

2008

The Leisure Suite, Leroy Neiman Gallery, Columbia University, New York, NY, Beth Campbell, Tim Davis, Friedrich Kurnath, Matt Keegan, Keren Cytter, Kate Gilmore, Michael Schmelling, Divya Mehra, Ben Turner

Selected Bibliography

2018

Fontaine, Pearl, "Marilyn Minter, Sol LeWitt, Martin Basher, and Other Must See Shows in Los Angeles This Week," Whitewall Magazine, May 24, 2018. (Link)

Hemer, André, "An interview with Martin Basher," Contemporary HUM, March 16, 2018. (Link)

2017

“Im/material; Painting in the Digital Age,” Londonews, November 15, 2017. (Link)

“The Top 8 Art Exhibitions to see in London this week,” FAD Magazine, November 12, 2017. (Link)

“Review: Im/material: Painting in the Digital Age (Sophia Contemporary),” FAD Magazine, October 25, 2017. (Link)

“Im/material,” Wall Street International, October 18, 2017. (Link)

“Must-See Art Guide: London,” Artnet News, October 5, 2017. (Link)

“Twenty Artists to Watch at the Armory Show,” Artsy.net, February 27, 2017. (Link)

2015

Hudson, Suzanne, “Martin Basher,” Artforum, October 2015. (Link)

Ghioni, Eloise, “A Guide to Benefits: Eloise Ghioni in dialogue with Martin Basher,” Fisk Frisk, July 10, 2015. (Link)

Horst, Aaron, “Martin Basher at Anat Ebgi,” Contemporary Art Review Los Angeles, June 23, 2015. (Link)

Amery, Mark, “Collectors Love,” Art Collector Australia, Jan-Mar 2015: P114-119.

Hurrel, John, “Bleary bedazzled Drive To Acquire,” Eyecontact, Feb 13, 2015. (Link)

2014

Hurrel, John, “Basher as Curator,” Eyecontact, February 17, 2014. (Link)

2013

Hill, Kim, “Interview,” Radio New Zealand, October 30, 2013.

Hurell, John, “Consumerist Equivocation,” Eyecontact, February 19, 2013. (Link)

Macbamara, TJ, “A collection of sensations,” New Zealand Herald, February 16, 2013. (Link)

2012

Eichblatt, Sam, “The Green Point.” Home Magazine New Zealand, March 2012.

2011

Miller, Sam, “A New Take on Take Out,” Wall Street Journal, July 28, 2011.

Johnson, Ken, “Shows and Openings,” New York Times, July 22, 2011.

Chen, Joshua, “Public Art in New York,” La Vie Magazine, Taiwan, April 2012

2010

Sutton, Benjamin, “Recalling and Revisioning History in Downtown Brooklyn,” The L Magazine, November 24, 2010.

Shannon, Audrey, “Art as Alka-Seltzer,” Time Out New York, November 24, 2010.

Macnamara, TJ, “Tradition Revisited,” New Zealand Herald, November 21, 2010.

Hurrell, John, “Consumerism’s Tight Embrace,” Eyecontact.com, November 17, 2010.

Vogel, Carol, “Futuristic Public Art,” The New York Times, October 14, 2010.

Eichblatt, Sam, “Commercial Imperatives,” Metro New Zealand, May 2010.

Rosenberg, Bonnie, “Unspecific Objects,” City Arts New York Review of Culture, April 20, 2010, Vol 2 Issue 7.

Akel, Joseph, Unspecific Specificities, Idiom Magazine, March 2010.

Delikan, Sharu, All Quiet on The Western Front, The Aucklander, 3 March 2010.

2009

Schaer, Cathrin, “Foreign Affairs: How New Zealand Artists Are Working Abroad and Going Global,” (Cover and main feature), The New Zealand Herald’s Weekend Magazine, July 25, 2009.

Hanfling, Edward, “Free Spirit No Interest,” Art New Zealand, No 131, Winter 2009.

Gardiner, Sue, with Basher, Martin, et al., “On the State of Painting Today,” ARTNEWS, New Zealand, Winter 2009.

Macnamara, T.J., “A Portrait Beyond Face Value,” The New Zealand Herald, March 28 2009.

Hurrell, John, “Tentacles of Capitalism,” Eyecontact, March 2009

2008

“Recommended Viewing: Summer Mixtape at Exit Art,” Time Out Magazine, New York. August 28 –September 3 2008.

Fisher, Annie, “A Tale of Two Summer Art Openings,” The Village Voice, July 29, 2008.

Hurrell, John, “The Falling of Water and Light,” Eyecontact, April 2008.

2007

Ganderson, Adam, “Critic’s Pick: “Martin Basher at Inglett Gallery,” Artforum.com.

Shaw, Robyn, “Martin Basher: Blackwater,” New Zealand Moving Image and Performing Arts, Number 39 Winter 2007.

Hacking, Lily, “Online review: Vanishing Point – Mary Newton Gallery,” www.texture.co.nz

2006

Wood, Andrew Paul, “Interiors” New Zealand Listener, Vol 202, No 3433.

Farrar, Sarah, “Martin Basher’s ‘Blackwater’, The City Gallery, Wellington.

Howden-Chapman, Amy, “Headway New Artists Show 2006,” Catalogue.

ARTSPACE, Auckland, New Zealand. Online: www.artspace.org.nz