Contributed by Jenny Zoe Casey / In “Kin Terrains,” nonagenarian Bascha Mon’s second exhibition at Tappeto Volante Gallery, Unfinished stands out for its semi-representational approach and for rich, lively colors that reflect Mon’s early-career affinity for Vuillard, among other influences. Made in the 1980s, it is the oldest piece in the show and clearly informs her subsequent work. From the left, the smallest arch reads as a turquoise alcove, a chair resting against it in a space containing other furniture. Behind the alcove are white-barked trees in a purple-green dusk. The color connects the area inside the arch to the trees, but a larger entryway appears blocked, going nowhere. To the right, however, a larger arch is open both to the viewer and a lake in the background. Unfinished’s patented shapes are found in some form in all but two pieces in show, though they become lumpier, irregular, and roughly oval.
Made in the 1990s, Family Portrait: Large Head brings to mind Jean Dubuffet’s mid-century work. Taking up most of the composition is a featureless head – a wandering oval shape extending from a light-colored line that could be a neck or perhaps a passageway of some sort. But the surface is heavily textured in blue-black tones that transition into gold. The painting is encaustic, linking it to the Fayum portraits, and includes a fabric collage element that can be read as a face or thought bubble. A large shape also dominates Comfy Chair Sinking as Memories Rise to the Surface. Presumably, it is the chair, though it is rendered in warm, somewhat sickly browns and greens and encircled by turbulent water. Walls painted with blended brushstrokes evoke fencing or paneled walls while also appearing transparent. A large “A” and “D” appear alongside a painting or window in the center that feels violent and ominous.
encaustic and collage on linen, 34 x 48 inches
oil on linen, 48 x 48 inches
Given that Mon’s career has spanned five decades, she must be adept at latching onto constructive challenges. According to writings found on her website, Mon has been preoccupied with mountains since childhood, experiencing them as seemingly insurmountable and ominous, yet also as seductive. In this light, the arches could simulate mountains, the textured surface of Family Portrait suggest unyielding terrain, the apparent chair of Comfy appear rocklike. Tension between freedom and constraint permeates the work on view. Such deep-seated agitation has apparently constituted inexhaustible motivation to make beguiling art.
“Bascha Mon: Kin Terrains,” Tappeto Volante Gallery, 4 Cortlandt Alley, New York, NY. Through October 24, 2026.
About the Author: Jenny Zoe Casey is a Brooklyn-based artist whose practice translates the experience of sound into visual form. Recent exhibitions include a three-person show at the New Harmony Gallery of Contemporary Art at the University of Southern Indiana and a group show at CHART in New York City.
