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Hernan Bas — Memphis Living (first chair, last chair)
Hernan Bas

Memphis Living (first chair, last chair)

2014

A figure in dark trousers and a burgundy shirt reclines across a modernist chair, rendered with an expressive, anxious gaze that dominates the composition. The painting merges interior and botanical elements, surrounding the figure with vivid tropical plants rendered in acid greens and warm oranges, while a geometric black and white floor grounds the scene. Bas employs acrylic and enamel on linen to create a dynamic surface that oscillates between figuration and abstraction, the figure's pale face and blue ear earrings contrasting sharply with the saturated environmental color. The work exemplifies Bas's practice of conflating interior psychology with decorative excess, engaging with legacies of expressionism and queer figuration that challenge modernist austerity. Rich in chromatic intensity and compositional tension, the painting suggests vulnerability and surveillance within spaces of supposed leisure.

Medium
Acrylic and enamel on linen
Overall

Notes

Victoria Miro, Frieze New York 2026, Booth A07, May 13–17, 2026.

For Sale — $185000

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About this work

Hernan Bas, Memphis Living (first chair, last chair), 2014

A figure in dark trousers and a burgundy shirt reclines across a modernist chair, rendered with an expressive, anxious gaze that dominates the composition. The painting merges interior and botanical elements, surrounding the figure with vivid tropical plants rendered in acid greens and warm oranges, while a geometric black and white floor grounds the scene. Bas employs acrylic and enamel on linen to create a dynamic surface that oscillates between figuration and abstraction, the figure's pale face and blue ear earrings contrasting sharply with the saturated environmental color. The work exemplifies Bas's practice of conflating interior psychology with decorative excess, engaging with legacies of expressionism and queer figuration that challenge modernist austerity. Rich in chromatic intensity and compositional tension, the painting suggests vulnerability and surveillance within spaces of supposed leisure.

Medium
Acrylic and enamel on linen
Dimensions
overall: 50.8 x 40.6 cm
Year
2014
Seen at
Victoria Miro Gallery, United Kingdom

Related themes

Interior Scene, Tropical Motif, Modernist Furniture, Expressionism, Mixed Media, Linen Canvas, American Artist, Queer Art, Color Field, Anxiety, Decorative, Gesture, Saturated Color, Figuration, 21st Century, Contemporary Painting, Acrylic Painting, Contemporary Art, Masculinity, Psychological Landscape

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