Art Bastion Miami Presents Transiens et Vanitas Exhibition by Charlie Masson
Thursday, 03/26/2015 – 03/26/2015 06:00 pm – 09:00 pm
Art Bastion
2085 NW 2nd Avenue, #104,
Miami, Florida 33127
Webpage Link
Cost: Free

Global art agency and gallery, Art Bastion Miami, will be showcasing exclusive paintings from Transiens et Vanitas, the inaugural Miami solo exhibition of Charlie Masson, March 26th through April 18th, 2015. The opening reception will take place on Thursday, March 26th, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

The Transiens et Vanitas exhibition consists of 68 works made in a variety of media, including previously unseen assemblages, paintings on panels, as well as paintings on familiar packaging materials.

The artwork highlights vanity and superficiality in online social media and popular culture, and simultaneously serve as reminders of the transience of trends and materials people assign value to. The works pay tribute to influencers that have shaped today’s world.

The transience of life, values and pursuits is the dominant motif throughout the Transiens et Vanitas exhibition. Following tradition stemming from Flemish artists of the 17th century, Masson also incorporates the philosophy of “vanitas” in his works. His works are represented in private collections around the world that include those of HRH Prince of Wales and Baron Cavendish of Furness.

Masson’s first series of paintings titled #vanity (I-V), is in a format that mimics the interface of Instagram and the works are painted in a style that recalls pop-art through usage of bold lines and Ben-Day dots and calls into question the phenomenon of “selfies.”

The series of small oil paintings Avatar (I-IX) are intimate portrayals of the artist’s friends taken from images that they chose as representations of themselves for use in various social media. Painted in a direct manner, Masson injects importance to these modern-day self-appointed miniature online portraits. Accompanying these works, Masson also includes a self-portrait of his reflection on a computer screen, a nod to the intangible virtual life that we each compose.

Opposite the nine paintings of avatars, are nine deceased famous personalities who have left an imprint on today’s world portrayed in “Lament Boxes,” tissue boxes with floral motifs whose openings serve as frames for illuminated ghost-like portraits.

Art Bastion was founded by internationally recognized art collector and curator, Sebastiano Varoli, with the mission of discovering and representing artists around the world and introducing their artwork to broader audiences. Varoli has collaborated with renowned art initiatives ranging from the Musée D’Orsay in Paris to the Royal Ballet in London and the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice.