Friends and they live near each other... think they may have shared a studio for a while.

Agreed, it would be very interesting to know more about them - especially Bast, which it seems hard to get any information about at all. It seems like they both started creating art around 2000. Any thoughs on why Faile has gotten more commercial success? My theory is that Faile appeals to a broader audience by making "prettier images" (for lack of a better word), in strong contrast to Bast....Bast takes the cultural themes used in Failes artwork, gives it the bast treatment, and creates something entirely else.

Word has it that Bast used to (still does?) work as a baggage handler at JFK. Hence the prominent airplane imagery in his work.

amen

707 - what ?

I'd really like to learn more about Bast's relationship with Rae. I think they used to be business partners, but had a falling out at some point. Not really sure what happened...

The story/rumour (I think) is that Bast used to sell through Rae's gallery, Brooklynite, but didn't like it when Rae started promoting Dain who's work looked too similar (and saying Dain was Bast's brother or something).
Then Rae started doing very similarly vibed art himself too.

Others may be able to shed better light on it!

From what I heard Bast, RAE and Dain grew up together writing graffiti in Brooklyn. Dain and Bast are brothers. Word has it Bast was jealous of his brother making art and they don't speak anymore. He's also painted over both RAE and Dain's street art in the past. I also heard RAE and Bast had a show together many years ago under their real names. Faile guys are from Canada I think.

As far as I know Dain and Bast aren't brothers, (also heard that they were cousins). Faile, Bast, Dain and Rae all work out of Brooklyn so it's possible they grew up together or maybe hit the streets - certainly were all friends in the early wheat pasting days.

Bast did used to sell out of Brooklynite, although when I asked Rae about his connection to the gallery a few years ago he said he just helped out and didn't run it. It's possible that there was a beef because of the similarity to Dain's work. But have heard many other stories and sordid tales I won't go into.
Also heard rumours of Rae being Bast's studio assistant. Obviously a similarity in their work that I'm sure didn't go down too well. Not sure if they ever had a show together - new one on me.

Bast is rumoured to have been a baggage handler at JFK airport and in his off-time would comb the shore line for rubbish to make his art which is very outsider art in nature and draws inspiration from the Dadaist movement.

I think the main story with Faile and Bast is that they possibly shared a studio, but used to collaborate together regularly along with Aiko back in the day. You can see the influence very prominantly in their early works and I think Aiko may have been the girlfriend of one of the group. Faile were always a big fan of Bast's work and there was a definite crossover in styles and similarity in their work ethics and use of materials.
Then they parted company, (probably on good terms as they carry on collaborating to this day).

As far as I am aware Bast parted company with Laz several years ago and although he has worked with a few other galleries, (Opera, Allouche, Eric Firestone) seems to do his own thing. He has a strong enough following to get by with very little help or gallery representation.

It would be certainly be good to have some kind of clarity on all the rumour and hearsay, (there's a lot and I haven't touched on many wild stories I have been told from fans and direct over the years). It would be great to have a new definative book on Bast as he's a very interesting and colourful character. Something along the lines of Faile's works on paper or wood books - but I'm sure Bast has little or no interest and would rather keep doing the work that he loves. A book is probably the last thing on his mind.