Abstract

Such approaches require both creative intentionality and inventive, resolute market positioning. Gary Baseman, the Californian-based illustrator, has described himself as a ‘pervasive artist’, with interests spanning illustration, vinyl toy design, animation and fine art. His work explores some complex and challenging issues that have pioneered the way for other artists to express ideological sympathies further, through a variety of media outputs. In doing so, Baseman’s work has taken on a cult status, exemplified by frequent personal appearances at global events to publicise and promote his deliberately limited edition works. This paper argues that far from masquerading as an insular and maverick creator, Baseman is instead a remarkably shrewd and considered businessman, able to prolifically engineer successful conclusions to projects that other artists might routinely reject through subjective, ethical or moral concerns. In so doing, he personifies a new dimension of mercurial approach to the field of illustration and pervasive art, moving beyond the recognised definition of the term ‘entrepreneurial’, to instead concentrate and consolidate his creative business interests around the ideas of low-brow art, commercial desirability and an aversion to risk. Models of practice are considered from some of the material and formats that Baseman has created to explore why these approaches were necessary, successful and how such strategies might be employed by other creators.