1xRun Thru Interview
Iron Man III by BASK
1xRun: Your artwork was a featured in the home of Tony Starks aka Iron Man in the new film Iron Man 3. How did this project come about and what was the art director’s feedback on why they felt your work was a good fit for Iron Man’s home in the movie?
BASK: Last June, my friend Susie Pilzninski called me saying that Robert Downey Jr. and the production team wanted to use a painting that I did in the next Iron Man film. The piece was of the Morton Salt girl with a massive bomb falling down on her. The original had been sold for a while and much too small anyway. So I recreated it to their size specification of 5ft wide and 13ft tall. Then they asked me if I’d be interested in doing more work for the Mandarin’s lair a few months later when they were shooting in Miami. I of course said yes and ended up doing 13 more massive paintings and some set design for them along with the Iron Man mask design which they asked me to do for the wrap of the film last year. They made shirts and postcards for the set department with that image. So it doesn’t appear in the film but was part of the project.
1xRun: Tell us a little bit about these pieces, what materials did you use?
BASK: All the original works I did for Iron Man 3 are sold including the two pieces here. I applied the same technique as all my work. A base of weathered old panels and a mixed media of hand painted distressed images. Both works were created last year but I had to keep them under wraps until Marvel was ready to release the film.
BASK: This was kind of crazy. They were trying to reach me for weeks but all they said was a movie wants to use your work in a movie. Didn’t say what movie though. So I almost blew it off until they said, Robert Downey Jr. wants your painting in Iron Man 3. So I called back right away and they said they needed the Rains/Pours piece in 5 days. Which gave me 2 to paint a 5ft x 14ft painting, crate it up and send it over-night it, so it makes it there on time for the shoot. It was a marathon, but I got it done and the rest is history. Then they came back a couple months later and had me do more work only this time it was making massive back drops for the Mandarin lair.
BASK: I think people can identify with it’s symbolism. We all try to protect ourselves from what ‘s coming but there are always things in life that can overwhelm us or just simply eliminate us without a moments notice.
1xRun: Why should people buy this print?BASK: Hopefully because they can relate to the meaning and/or love Iron Man. Either one or both are good reasons.1xRun: Describe the Iron Man 3 piece in one gut reaction word.
BASK: Life.
1xRun: The movie is finally coming out after months of anticipation, how do you feel the audience will react to your art in the film? Your collectors and fans should be pretty excited as well don’t you think?
BASK: I’m excited. I am a product of growing up on comic books, so this whole experience was great. As far as the audience is concerned, I hope they like my contribution to the film.
1xRun: ” When it Rains it Pours” is a fitting title for a painting that a super hero would hang it their house, why is it important for you to release this print as the movie hits theaters?
BASK: I’ve always wanted to run this piece as a print. Even when I did the first version back in 04. But with this new updated version, and the fact that it was this piece that opened the door for me to be involved in Iron Man 3 is why it is especially fitting.
1xRun: Robert Downey Jr, the actor who plays Iron Man, is a big fan of your work, and during the filming of Iron Man 3 we heard that he commissioned a painting for his actual home, can you tell us about that experience and the piece you made for him?
BASK: Yes. After I did the first piece, one of his people contacted me about what work I have available. He had just purchased a new home and wanted some of my work in it. He ended up buying a massive 16 ft collaboration that I did with Tes One. It was a piece we did as a mock up for a mural he and I did on the Tampa Museum of Art a few years back. He also picked up all of the work I did for the film. When meeting him last September he told me “I’m hanging them all in my man cave/ hanger in Los Angeles so I want to hang out there more often.”
1xRun: This summer you are staying pretty busy, how is your upcoming summer & fall shaping up ?
BASK: Yeah, I have a solo show at 1AM in San Francisco in July, I ‘m doing a mural in Windsor that same month, A two man show with Derek Hess this fall, a solo show in Brooklyn in November and then Art Basel Miami. This year and most of next year have filled up quite nicely.
1xRun: Where else can people find you?
BASK: Website – Facebook – Twitter – Tumblr – Flickr –
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