2024 Summer Workshops
From Egyptian tombs to illuminated manuscripts of the 8th century onward, throughout the Modernist art of the 20th century, and into our contemporary city streets, words and images have combined in abundant ways, some conventional, easily escaping notice, and others startling and provocative. Some examples include the addition of words to early cubist collages, to the “words in freedom” of the Futurists, to Cy Twombly’s use of mark and gesture—which mimic written language as a bearer of meaning— to Ed Ruscha’s playful and cinematic fusion of word and image — the possibilities have been endless. And let us not forget that our computers and handheld devices mingle the visual and the textual with rapid-fire fluidity!
Through exercises, continuous discussion, and individual consultation, you will explore some of the ways words and images can coexist, supplement, or challenge one another in the context of making paintings. Open to various mediums and all forms of visual expression. A desire to experiment with the intersection of text and image is the essential ingredient for participation in this workshop. Emphasis on improvisation, experimentation, and exploration. A high-minded spirit of playfulness and adventure is the guiding principle.
Biography
Richard Baker is the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Foundation Grant and a New England Foundation for the Arts Grant. His solo exhibitions include works at Albert Merola Gallery in Provincetown, MA, and Tibor de Nagy Gallery in New York. His work is included in the public collections of The Contemporary Museum in Honolulu, HI, and Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA. He currently teaches painting at Rutgers University.