Artist Spotlight
Garin Baker
Mural installation at Ballou High School, Washington DC–Library Entry Way
Born in 1961 in New York City, Garin Baker was raised on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and attended the HS of Art and Design (class of 1981). With a strong focus on working from life his works include complex compositions to simple figure studies. His realism combined with an expressive nature shows passionate engagement with a variety of contemporary subjects including large New York cityscapes filled with bustling people to spacious rural landscapes reminiscent of the Hudson River School of Painting. To his credits are numerous gallery exhibitions and National Awards.
Presently Garin is pursuing a contemporary form of Realist Art inspired by the traditions, of, Sorolla, Sargent, Repin, Kromskoi, Shishkin, Zorn, Homer, Brangwin, Pyle, Everette, NC, Rockwell and A. Wyeth. These artists embraced the formal training of the academies of 19th Century but moved beyond the rigid, limited methods and styles requiring artist to paint acceptable subject matter in the hopes of receiving court commissions and portrait work. Among these and many others artists, who used their skills, talents and moments of commercial success to explore personal subjects of their own choosing. These are the works that have broken ground and live today as benchmarks of artistic achievements.
As a Contemporary Realist Painter the ability to communicate in these diverse and unregimented times offers artists today bountiful opportunities. Through whatever means necessary the real challenge is to develop a compelling visual language, lovingly and honestly portray from an inner voice what truly motivates the human and creative spirit.
To view more of Garin’s artwork, visit his web site www.garinbaker.com.