Samuel Bassett 'Hourglass'

Samuel Bassett Hourglass

“Just under the surface I shall be, 

all together at first, then separate 

and drift, through all the earth and 

perhaps in the end through a cliff 

into the sea, something of me” 

Samuel Beckett

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Hourglass 

It is a great pleasure for Anima Mundi 

to present Samuel Bassett’s latest solo 

exhibition ‘Hourglass’. Samuel Bassett 

is a British artist born in Cornwall in the 

far west of England in 1982. He currently 

works from the prestigious Porthmeor 

Studio complex in St. Ives. His works are 

exhibited and collected internationally. 

Bassett’s paintings, sculpture and 

installation display limitless zeal, honest 

pathos and sharp humour and are made 

with unrivalled creative, experimental, 

freedom. His painted language of mark 

making varies from raw sweeping gestures 

to draughtsman-like drawn or sgraffito 

schematics with occasional paint thrown 

with force from the pot. His dexterity 

enables him to effortlessly capture 

scattered images of his inner monologue, 

often erratic, often pinpoint. Reflecting 

the ups and downs and the highs and 

lows as they happen. His paintings could 

be described as a form of ‘psychological 

cubism’, where the inner and the outer 

self reveal themselves and coalesce. 

His autobiographical works search for 

personal and universal meaning and in 

turn reflect concerns about 21st century 

society and the wider human condition. 

It is relatively commonplace for painters to 

describe the making of their artwork as an 

act of geology, where a layering of material 

occurs in order to create a palimpsest. The 

result as such becomes reflective of times 

passing albeit the duration of the making 

of that piece of work. This indeed remains 

a suitable analogy for Bassett’s method of 

working, reflecting the cumulative product 

of his fleeting mind and active hand. 

However, geology is the study of time and 

pressure, and as with the layers of the 

earth, it is the rich emotionally layered 

thematics of Bassett’s output that demand 

a little more excavation. 

His latest solo exhibition, ‘Hourglass’, 

as ever, demonstrates his boundless 

creative energy, however this is also 

Bassett’s most mature exhibition to date, 

one which demonstrates a growing sense 

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of reserve, allowing greater space for 

contemplation within the vortex of the 

artists’ mind. His works are imbued with 

a deep-rooted connection to place, the 

sea and landscape, as well as community 

and heritage. The localised placement of 

these cautionary tales become allegorical 

for broader more universal hopes and 

wider loss, fear and disconnection with 

condolence and settlement. I write this 

text following my visit to Sam’s studio 

to check progress, some work is very 

strong and complete (arguably his 

strongest and most complete to date), 

some remains excitingly poised in a state 

of flux awaiting its imminent moment of 

fruition, and further plans are sketched 

awaiting swift action. Energy is ripe and 

the development is in full swing. This is 

the creative sweet spot. The decisive 

moment. As has been well reported, 

Samuel Bassett is a very lovable guy, 

with a broad, tooth clad smile that 

lights up the room and a manic energy 

that makes you want to pin him by the 

shoulders, to keep him still for a moment 

and then in turn give him a big hug. 

However, there is no bouncing of the walls 

at this time. The enduring smile remains, 

albeit tempered but movements seem 

slower and more measured, with a weight 

in the space which gives the studio a 

stillness and solemnity that I am less used 

to. In the past month Sam has lost both 

of his Grandmothers, he tells me of his 

turmoil, specifically at seeing their houses 

emptied in preparation of them going to 

market, destined to be yet another holiday 

home perhaps. He talks of a growing 

sense of disconnection when place is so 

intwined with its people and how he has 

not only lost these matriarchs, but feels 

the loss of their whole way of life which 

goes with them. Naturally, I reel at this. 

The meeting ends, as Bassett rushes out 

the door, already late for Parents evening, 

got to go see what his young son, and chip 

of the old block, Jack Bassett, has been 

up to at school. Yes... life goes on. 

For some time now Bassett’s works have 

remained constantly charged by that 

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deep well of nostalgia and a palpable fear 

of threat and loss of a way of life under 

threat. This in many respects remains the 

case, however there is a subtle change 

of tempo. The great squall of threat and 

change has been tempered by a level of 

resignation but also acceptance that all 

things must pass. We reflect upon our time 

which becomes sedimentary foundation 

upon which the future is to be built, 

as we construct upon the bones and 

ordeals of our forebears. I concede that 

this is of course a melancholy notion but 

importantly, it is also one of liberation, 

hope and spiritual acceptance. 

This shifting of emphasis could also in some 

way be attributed to Bassett relocating the 

setting of these works further west from the 

coastal community and now holiday town 

of St. Ives. A place which has become 

associated with a level of disconnect and 

symbol of erosive change for the artist 

who’s family have resided there since 

early 17th century, and seen the decline 

of its original community and industry in 

favour of a tourist toy town, now arguably 

owned by its visitors. The stage for this 

exhibition is the ancient land further 

West, out upon the moors, beside the 

cliffs with granite underfoot and either 

side. A place of sea crashed zawns where 

heavens press down heavy overhead. The 

timelessness of these Celtic lands has 

fed an eternal element into these works. 

Where Bassett’s deep immersion in this 

location has seen him metaphorically 

bury himself and his people within the 

earth, becoming a layer within the stone, 

leaching into the ocean and evaporating 

in to the sky. Without spiritual agenda, 

there is perhaps, something very pagan 

about these works, which results from 

an honest interaction with these ancient 

lands and perhaps from being one of its 

original people. 

‘Hourglass’ is a laying to rest. It is an 

exhibition about time, loss, gain, love, the 

past, the future and the now. It is a love 

story to those who have left, those who 

are here and those who are next. Indeed 

we leave reminded that it takes many 

grains of sand to form a beach. 

Joseph Clarke, 2019 

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Cold Truths 

mixed media on panel . 92 x 72 cm 

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8

Between the Clouds and They 

mixed media on canvas . 200 × 180 cm 

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Up Trevalgan Hill 


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12

Beach Cleaning 

mixed media on panel and canvas . 215 × 290 cm 

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Squeeze 1 

mixed media . 66 x 41 x 30 cm 

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Squeeze 2 

mixed media . 66 x 41 x 30 cm 

15

Cold Night Drowning 


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17

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Bus to Tesco 


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The Beach Comber 


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22

On the Coffin Path 


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Eat Your Fish and Them Bloody Crusts 

mixed media on panel and canvas . 240 × 166 cm 

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25

26

Sloop Dogs 

mixed media on canvas . 120 x 150 cm 

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Burning Boat 


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29

30

Price of Fish 


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Balancing a Soul 

mixed media on perspex . 20 x 24 x 8 cm 

Stay Close 


Pie Hunters 


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Do Your Coaches Go To Berlin 

mixed media on board . 52 x 36 cm 

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Ludgvan Drinks 


35

Avocado Man Needs Tomato 


36

Hahaha Cold Man 


37

Summer Down Wharf 

mixed media on paper . 42 x 59 cm 

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In the Clouds, Below the Tor 


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Queuing For Milk 

mixed media on board | 61 x 41 cm 

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A Gin and Double Tonic Please 


42

Mist and Memories 


43

Raining Over The Fields Look 


44

Between Us All 

drypoint etching on 640 gm Fabriano paper, edition 10 . 76 x 56 cm 

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Final Call 

lino print on 320 gm watercolour paper, edition 10 

. 30 x 21 cm 

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Samuel Bassett is a British artist born Cornwall in 1982. He currently works from the 

prestigious Porthmeor Studio complex in St. Ives 

Bassett’s language of mark-making varies from raw sweeping gestures to draughtsman-like 

drawn or sgraffitto schematics. His dexterity enables him to effortlessly capture scattered 

images of his inner monologue - often erratic, often pinpoint. The ups and downs. The highs 

and lows. His paintings could be described as a form of ‘psychological cubism’, where the 

inner and the outer self reveal themselves and coalesce. His autobiographical work maps a 

fast paced and over-active mind searching for the personal and universal meaning and in 

turn reflect both positive and negative concerns about 21st century society and the wider 

human condition. 

His most recent works imbue a deep rooted connection to place, the sea and landscape, as 

well as community and heritage. The localised placement of these cautionary tales become 

allegorical for broader more universal hopes and wider loss, fear and disconnection. 

St Ives has been his family’s home since 1695. The artistic traditions of the town had an 

undoubted influence over his development, but his Grandfather, a fisherman by trade was 

also a keen amateur painter, as was his other Grandfather in Newlyn. The young Bassett was 

supported early on with encouragement and painting materials. Bassett ’s studio space is 

part of a complex that coincidently sits above his Grandfather’s former net loft. He studied 

in Bournemouth, England and then lived in London but the pull of the sea brought him 

home. In addition to his own practice Bassett founded LETH projects, a curatorial platform 

for emergent artists. Bassett has exhibited internationally including four solo exhibitions 

at Anima Mundi, a solo exhibition at Kornfeld Gallery in Berlin and solo presentations at 

START at the Saatchi Gallery in London and CODE Art Fair, Copenhagen. Works are held in 

an increasing number of collections worldwide including the acquisition of the work ‘Lost 

Karensa’ by Tremenheere Sculpture Park which is permanently exhibited alongside James 

Turrell, Kishio Suga, Richard Long and David Nash among others. Bassett has been featured 

in numerous articles included Christies magazine and The New York post which is indicative 

of a notable and rapid increase in the artists popularity and ambition. Samuel Bassett is 

represented by Anima Mundi. 

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Published by Anima-Mundi to coincide with Samuel Bassett ‘Hourglass’ 

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or 

by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise without the prior permission of the publishers 

Anima Mundi . Street-an-Pol . St. Ives . Cornwall . +44 (0)1736 793121 . mail@animamundigallery.com . www.animamundigallery.com

www.animamundigallery.com

Samuel Bassett 'Hourglass'

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