Brett Baker

In addition to making abstract paintings, I draw from life. My ongoing series of graphite drawings includes self-portraits, skulls, and hands. These complex forms require sustained perceptual and material engagement, qualities I also strive for in my abstract paintings. Each of my drawings begins with a representational under-drawing like the one pictured here. Once the under-drawing is resolved, gestural movements discovered during the process of observation are gradually amplified and repeated. Direct observation informs the abstraction and the resulting animated field of marks retains the original structure and depth. This way of working connects my abstract painting to the tradition of close-looking and visual engagement inherent in observational painting.  –Brett Baker, 2012