Awareness post

The artist that I chose to react to this quarter is Charming Baker. Baker makes work focusing on life and death and experiences with joy and despair. He’s a contemporary British artist who works primarily with oil. I will link his instagram and website below. His work does not only focus on animals, but I’m going to react to the ones that do since animals are a repeating subject of my work. I chose a few pieces to react to, and will be going through them in order as they appear in the gallery I uploaded.

1. MAKE UP FOR NOT BEING SMART BY BEING NICE- I really like this peace. I’m not really sure the meaning behind it, but the name is definitely through provoking. I really like how you can see the background through the dog. The dog feels like it’s not really there, but also very present. Additionally, I really like the way the paws are done and the juxtaposition between the tight and loose marks.

2. I USED TO THINK I WAS ALONE UNTIL I REALIZED EVERYONE ELSE WAS TOO- I also really like this piece. The mixed media is really nice, and I really like ally like the red lines. Again, I do not know his intention behind the name or the meaning, but it is thought provoking. The smoothness of the upside down cat figure is really nice, as are the scribbles on the legs. I again, really like that you can see the background through the gays.

3. ONE OR TWO CATS- I love this piece. The cat(s?) are done so well, especially the face. The black scribble looks somehow perfect. The name is fun. The viewer is again left to interpret, but the name of this one very evidently matches the piece to me. I LOVE IT! I love cats. Are the two or one cats? I don’t know. This piece is so fun. I love it so much. The background also really elevates the piece. This piece makes me thing about assumptions we make, and I just really love it so so so so much. If I was rich this would be a piece I would buy. Maybe I can find a print of it.

4. ONE DAY SOON IM GOING TO HAVE A REALLY GOOD TIME- I also really love this piece. Cute little ducks. So so cute. This piece makes me think of hunting, and how the baby ducks could grow up to be hunted. Maybe the title means the artist is going to have a really good time soon and hen they grow up and he can kill them. I don’t know if that is what the artist was thinking. I would not want to kill these ducks or any animal. The choice of a digital target is very interesting given the contrast with the painted ducks. The ducks are so cute.

Overall, Baker accomplishes his goal with his art. The pieces provoke thinking and made me think about my conscience and the way I think. I think this is a feeling I would like to capture in my work. I want to try his technique of painting on patterned paper, and overall his work just inspired me to dive into my urge to work with mixed media.