Teeyum Bastani, Actions, Desires and Pushing Boundaries
Written by Isis Kazadi
There is a lightness in expression that makes 22 year old Teeyum Bastani impossible not to like and her work is imbued with the same confident fluidity. Although Bastani has a background in traditional realistic oil painting, her heart lies with a style more acutely aligned with her personality.
“In highschool I didn’t even know I could do something like abstract expressionism…there’s so much out there I just don’t know.” Bastani confessed. This same unfettered desire to explore is what urges Bastani to push the boundaries of her own art. The creation of the Playboy piece and the film reel that accompanies it, is the perfect example of Bastani’s mix of art forms.
“For this piece I wanted to show that the art is more than what’s on the page,” Bastani said. “Viewing, creating, erasing certain parts… all of it is art.”
The end product is a VHS style recording depicting Bastani pulling hundreds of clippings from boxes scattered across the room and spray painting on every surface in sight. Fans of Lana del Rey may find Bastani as a symbol of adoration in another recording, that shows a figure swaying melodically in a lace dress from the knees down. These videos serve as a peek behind the curtain into Bastani’s modus operandi and if there’s one word to describe what we see there– it’s messy. In spite of the constant ostentation that accompanies any art form but, especially visual arts, Bastani urges her audience and herself into authenticity. “I love being messy, I don’t have to do anything perfectly, I just have to do it” Bastani pronounced.
The appreciation of fluidity and creation is what initially led Bastani to Nostalgia and Noise. “I want something more than that fixed gallery space where you need to put out X number of pieces and 50% of your sale is taken,” Bastani said. “I want to be able to say yes to everything.”
First on a long list of yeses is the collaboration between Bastani and Nostalgia and Noise on April 19th at Green Light Social. The N&N x GLS event has attendees sport all white outfits, so that the audience may become the canvas and Bastani the graffiti artist for the night.“I've never been asked to do a live painting on someone’s clothing while it’s on their body…[Nostalgia and Noise] actually wants the artist to grow.” Bastani said.
Regardless of the forum, Bastani has the unique perspective of “Art as a Verb” an action that is constantly in demand, requiring innovation between its actors and audiences.
