Ever heard of Hernan Bas? I hadn't until yesterday when I saw a piece on the Miami artist relating to a current retrospective of his work currently on at the Brooklyn Museum.

From the Times: The young Miami-based painter Hernan Bas is the subject of a big retrospective at the Brooklyn Museum. The museum's decision to host the show raises concerns about its relationship with the private collectors who, as owners of Mr. Bas's work, have a financial stake in the elevation of his reputation.

Now don't get me wrong, now that I've seen his work, I like it. The question remains, though, does this guy deserve such a large show? There are so many other established, better-known artists who could be showing instead. I'm not against showing up and comers, but this seems a little fishy, I must admit.

Hernan Bas: Works from the Rubell Family Collection includes thirty-eight works in various media by the young Miami-based artist that were collected over the past ten years by the Rubell family.

Born in 1978 and a graduate of New World School of the Arts in Miami, Bas has become one of South Florida's most celebrated artists. His work, which incorporates romantic and classical imagery, finds inspiration in youth and Goth culture, fashion layouts, and books, among them the Hardy Boys series, as well as the work of Wilde, Huysmans, and other writers of the Aesthetic and Decadent period of literature reimagined from the perspective of a young gay artist.

Read more on the museum's site, where you can also check out a few more pics of the artist's work. Despite it all, I think Bas's work is worth a trip to Brooklyn.

Hernan Bas: Works from the Rubell Family Collection
Brooklyn Museum
200 Eastern Parkway
Now through 05.24.09