
Newz!
2014
Rendered in vivid gouache on canvas, "Newz!" from 2014 presents Math Bass's signature pictographic language at full intensity, compressing text, symbol, and form into a single charged field. The exclamation-point title is not incidental; it announces the work's preoccupation with information overload, media spectacle, and the way meaning accelerates and distorts as it moves through contemporary culture. Bass builds the composition from flattened, cartoon-adjacent shapes that hover between legibility and abstraction, inviting the eye to decode what ultimately resists fixed interpretation. Bass, who received an MFA from UCLA and has exhibited extensively at prominent institutions, developed this visual vocabulary as a way of interrogating how images and language perform rather than simply communicate. "Newz!" belongs to a pivotal body of work from the mid-2010s in which the artist was sharpening this practice into its most concentrated form, using gouache's matte opacity to flatten depth and push each element toward graphic directness. The medium suits the subject perfectly, its poster-like quality echoing the visual codes of headlines and broadcasts while remaining unmistakably handmade. At 111.8 by 106.7 centimeters, the canvas commands attention without overwhelming a domestic or institutional setting, and its near-square format gives the composition a self-contained, emblem-like authority. The work is currently on offer through MoMA PS1, lending institutional provenance that underscores Bass's standing within a rigorous contemporary discourse. For collectors drawn to painting that engages critically with language and visual culture, this piece represents a cohesive and historically grounded example of an artist working at the height of their developing practice.
- Medium
- Gouache on canvas
- Overall
- Signed
- Yes
- Location
- MoMA PS1, NY
- Spotted At
- Gallery · MoMA PS1View on map
More by Math Bass


Start the Discussion
Request access to join the discussion