Charming Baker (British, b.1964) Knowing Nothing Is Under-rated
signed and dated 'BAKER/2011' (verso) oil on linen Unframed: 125 x 165 cm. (49 1/4 x 65 in.) Framed: 128.6 x 172 cm. (50 5/8 x 67 3/4 in.) Works from the Collection of Frank Cohen (Lots 79-95)Provenance: The artist, 2011, from whom acquired by the present owner Exhibited: Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, The Frank Cohen Collection, 1 Apr-30 Jun 2014Notes: Charming Baker is a prominent contemporary British artist whose work explores the tension between beauty, vulnerability, and mortality. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, Baker rose to prominence for his distinctive approach to classical oil painting, which he frequently subverts through deliberate acts of destruction, such as drilling, routing, or shooting his canvases. This visceral intervention introduces an element of chance and chaos, challenging the traditional sanctity of the painted surface. He is highly regarded for his darkly humorous and deeply emotive examinations of the human condition, often mediated through evocative animal motifs. In Knowing Nothing Is Under-rated, Baker presents a stark, arresting juxtaposition. A solitary, innocent white lamb stands in the foreground, seemingly oblivious to the massive, looming steam locomotive bearing down heavily behind it. The work’s muted, almost oppressive palette enhances the creeping sense of impending doom. This piece perfectly encapsulates Baker’s broader practice: it acts as a poignant meditation on fragility and the brutal, unstoppable force of fate.
[ translate ]signed and dated 'BAKER/2011' (verso) oil on linen Unframed: 125 x 165 cm. (49 1/4 x 65 in.) Framed: 128.6 x 172 cm. (50 5/8 x 67 3/4 in.) Works from the Collection of Frank Cohen (Lots 79-95)Provenance: The artist, 2011, from whom acquired by the present owner Exhibited: Shrewsbury, Shrewsbury Museum and Art Gallery, The Frank Cohen Collection, 1 Apr-30 Jun 2014Notes: Charming Baker is a prominent contemporary British artist whose work explores the tension between beauty, vulnerability, and mortality. After graduating from Central Saint Martins, Baker rose to prominence for his distinctive approach to classical oil painting, which he frequently subverts through deliberate acts of destruction, such as drilling, routing, or shooting his canvases. This visceral intervention introduces an element of chance and chaos, challenging the traditional sanctity of the painted surface. He is highly regarded for his darkly humorous and deeply emotive examinations of the human condition, often mediated through evocative animal motifs. In Knowing Nothing Is Under-rated, Baker presents a stark, arresting juxtaposition. A solitary, innocent white lamb stands in the foreground, seemingly oblivious to the massive, looming steam locomotive bearing down heavily behind it. The work’s muted, almost oppressive palette enhances the creeping sense of impending doom. This piece perfectly encapsulates Baker’s broader practice: it acts as a poignant meditation on fragility and the brutal, unstoppable force of fate.
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