Some work has to wait

A new edition I held back for a long time, and why I am taking the summer to slow down.

Some work has to wait.

Portal has been sitting on my list for a long time. Every few months I would return to it, look again, and decide it was not the moment. There was never anything wrong with the work. If anything, it was one of the strongest things I had made. I think I was holding it back until I was sure I understood it myself.

A black circle held inside a white form, the face appearing only at the edge. There is almost nothing in it, and that is the whole point. It asks you to slow down and look for the presence inside the reduction. The longer I lived with it, the more certain I became that it belonged as an edition.

This is one of my favorite releases of the year, and today felt like the moment to finally let it go.

There is more to come for Portal. It will be part of my solo exhibition with MC2 Gallery in Milan, opening in early September. I will share the full details when I am back. I wanted you to see the work here first.

Portal is available as an archival pigment print in two sizes, 45 × 60 cm and 90 × 120 cm. If you would like to know more about availability or pricing, reply to this email. I read every message myself.

One more thing.

The past months have been some of the busiest I can remember. I have decided to take the summer to step back properly. I am using the school holiday to travel, to be with the people closest to me, and to spend time away from the studio without a deadline waiting on the other side.

So this will be the only Studio Notes I send this month. I hope you understand. From August onward I will be back with the regular weekly rhythm, and with everything around Milan and a lot of other exciting news.

Thank you for being here, and for giving this work your attention.

More soon.

— Bastiaan