The acrylic and mixed-media paintings of Hernan Bas carry a coming-of-age quality, pulling from varying periods. His influences, among several other mediums, have a particular consideration of “the Aesthetic and Decadent writers of the 19th century, in particular Oscar Wilde, Charles Baudelaire and Joris-Karl Huysman,” a statement says. Film, poetry, and art history itself also have an impact on his contemplative works.
“His paintings are a patchwork of figuration and abstraction; they feature classical subjects like interiors, landscapes and portraits,” Lehmann Maupin says. “He experiments with various techniques and materials such as airbrush, wood block, acrylic, gold leaf and house paint. Before embarking on a new series, Bas does general, rather than in-depth, research into a subject. Furthermore, Bas feels that he doesn’t depict actual individuals or events in history but invents scenes inspired by various historical periods.”
See more of his work below.
In the recent, enormous portraits painted by Mike Dargas, the artist pays homage to major figures in art history and tucks surprises into their contours. With “The Unbreakable," which honors Frida Kahlo, the artist says she was "physically broken but her spirit was unbreakable and her powerful essence eternal.” See more of his recent portraits below.
LA-based artist 
