Delirium

It's A Party, Let's Dance!

55.5 x 63.5 in

acrylic, spray paint and oil on canvas

2013

Ngayong Gabi AngUmaga, Ngayong UmagaAng Gabi

To say that Zeus Bascon has a vivid imagination would be a staggering understatement. His second solo show, thoughtfully entitled Ngayong Gabi AngUmaga, NgayongUmagaAng Gabi, manages to merge the tumultuousness of waking life with the playground of his subconscious mind, where a motley cast of characters hold court, along with a dose of supernatural phenomena thrown into the mix. It is this same group of characters, from recognizable human figures to creatures fit only for the most frightening of nightmares that spin the stories of Bascon’s art. A closer look into the paintings and collages suggests that what Bascon is trying to tell us is that the connection between the realms of the conscious and subconscious ismuch more deeply rooted than we think, and change is the underlying anchor that holds all of these things together.

Reverence towards the supernatural and the occult is a recurring theme in many of Zeus Bascon’s creations. Fascinated by the Filipino system of anting-anting and the belief in the existence of elementals, these symbols and creatures often find their way again and again into Zeus’s paintings. Bascon describes his creative process as one that involves acceptance, in order to translate thought to canvas in the most truthful way possible. In his own words,“Lots of crazy, unbelievable things happened to me, and these things affected me and everything around me, and I just learned to accept these things.”

Another striking characteristic about Zeus Bascon’s work is his innate ability to combine elements that are both strange and mundane into an organic whole. From the scattered body parts, patchwork creatures and humanoid figures that so casually occupy the canvases, it’s as if they’re telling us that it’s okay to for everyone to let their freak flag fly.

On this planet, the sun is just about to rise while the night is just beginning to fall somewhere else. It makes sense, then, that this morning is night, and this night is morning. A little change in perspective is all that’s needed.

X

27.5 x 28 in

acrylic on canvas

2013

Screaming in Exile

7.25 x 5.25 in

collage on layers of acrylic sheets and glass

2013

top left clockwise: Pretty Visitors i, Pretty Visitors ii, Pretty Visitors iv, Pretty Visitors iii; 29.75 x 43.25 in mixed media on paper, 2013

This Must Be The Place

7 x 10 in (Diptych)

acrylic and pyrography, x-ray film., acrylic sheet, nail and silicon on wood

2013

AN INVITATION: HALIAKIAHIWAGIMHALIANIALIYAGIM
31 1/4 x 17 1/2 inches
Acrylic, Charcoal, Collage Elements, Clear Lacquer on Frame,Hologram Sticker and Acrylic on Glass
2013

Entities

9 x 12 in

acrylic on canvas, collage on acrylic sheet

2013

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exhibiton text by Maria Fatima Corazon Potenciano