Caroline Baker is originally from the Baltimore-Washington suburbs and has returned to live there after years of living in the Central Appalachian coalfields of Southwestern Virginia. Along with the change in scenery, her work has changed from site-specific contemporary landscapes to combines that visually explore ephemeral information through objects, print, and digital media. The artwork often includes collage, fiber arts, painting, and construction techniques. Ms. Baker has a background in arts education in public schools grades PreK- 12, special ed. and as an instructor at The University of Virginia's College at Wise. She has organized art exhibits and events for academic and private settings. Her work is informed through various other fields including graphic design, environmental science, drafting, and horticulture, which often find unconventional and subtle appearances in the content and application of her art. She works at her home studio in Olney, MD.
Statement
My work is an exploration of the relationship between the physical, entropic object and the non- physical, ephemeral mirror non-object. The objects involved may be anything in the natural or human made sphere, not excluding the human being as both repository and generator of non-objectified data. As humanity becomes more enmeshed with digital infrastructure we continually create a trail of data points that may describe individuals, groups and other entities such as corporations and government entities.
My current body of work often takes the form of assemblage using everyday items that could be described as “kipple” - objects without use that my seem to reproduce as a form of environmental- human entropy, objects that briefly had a use in the ordered environment that have become the very symbol of disorder. My process often involves several stages of construction/deconstruction/construction as a metaphor for our human existence as both physical and mental/spiritual and as a collection of connected information or data.
Themes often include any repository for coded information such as receipts, shipping vehicles, signage or instruction manuals. Visually this content appears in numerical or text formats juxtaposed with natural or organic imagery and objects where they may be interpreted within their context as art objects.
As I have worked with assembling and painting in this manner for several years, I have developed a personal iconography that serves a narrative function within the visual language of my artwork.
Powered by Artwork Archive