Retrospectives are always special events, but the retrospective of Bascha Mon (born, 1932) at Tappeto Volante Projects (TVP) through Oct. 20, is particularly special. Though an active presence on social media, Bascha has not shown her work in NYC for decades, and her last solo show was 40 years ago. We are so lucky that this neglect is now being remedied, as Bascha Mon is an artist the world should know about. The show begins with a 1968-69 painting apparently influenced by Kandinsky but already displaying Mon’s sensitive and rhythmic use of color, and then rushes to 1978-81 with large breathy canvases of glowing, atmospheric color that transcend space and time, reflecting nostalgic, amorphous, and imaginary memories, such as those Mon created from descriptions by her parents of their textile store, or the scarfs her mom wore. The front room includes more recent work, made between 1999-present, with multi-canvases of one large central panel accompanied by numerous smaller ones, all with emotional bursts of color, contrasting textures and forms. Also in this room are otherworldly oils of evocative and soulful stories, and the smaller vibrant abstract gouaches that the artist is now making. The decade gap between the two rooms is when Bascha was sculpting, printmaking, and experimenting in all kinds of ways. In fact, experimentation is fundamental to Mon’s process. Mon had a complex life of numerous physical and logistical hardships, but rather than succumb to these obstacles, she used them as vehicles to jump to new places, new media, new themes. She shifted from childhood memories, to political and social events, to inner mental states, from oil painting to sculpture, printmaking, encaustics, collage, back to oils, and now gouache. But throughout, always are suggestions of real-life narratives, glorious color, a hint of her love of French and German literature and the composer Messiaen, and an urgent sense of authenticity and dedication to art.

@tvprojects.bk @paolagallio @bashamon