Baker Artist Portfolios

A tunnel constructed in the basement of the Graduate Arts Students Association (GASA) House, near the University of Nevada, Reno on the occasion of the "Post 'Podium Results Show' Show." Constructed of art world ephemera staples and chicken wire, this tunnel forces people to crawl through a paper space that gets increasingly smaller as it goes backwards. With all images on the inside and all textual information on the outside, it is a sister piece to "Trimmed Fat," (see separate entry) on view in another exhibition at that same time.

This is an installation I did for the Jordan Faye Block Contemporary Gallery for a three day salon show. Here is the accompanying artist statement:


Portrait of My Grandmother

This installation alternated between being a performance space for one-on-one encounters and a video installation that documented the performances. The performer and audience each wore a head-mounted camera that documented the improvised and individual exchanges of movement and conversation. This video was later projected into the same space, thus allowing a private exchange to be witnessed and re-imagined.

This piece was part of an exhibition called "Lumber Party" that was held at the City Arts Gallery as an official Art Scape satellite exhibition.
For 9 hours I sat in this particular installation trading drawings with visitors. I would then place the drawings that I had received from others up on the walls.

Two Moons, or Why the Full Moon Hates Me is a participatory installation that invites viewers to create collages on glowing orbs by arranging transparent cutouts of animal heads, human body parts, and random objects on overhead projectors. Participants were asked to take instagram images of their creations and tag them #moonhatesme.

An overly simple effort in recreating the experience of stargazing. This is an interactive sculpture to be worn over the head. When wearing the piece it is dark, except for hundreds of small spots of light. To create this piece I drilled small holes that map the positions of stars in our night sky.

Negotiations is a project that explores cross-cultural communication and interpretation. Over a period of two years Daniela Kostova and Olivia Robinson developed an interactive system that utilizes blue screen video techniques as a tool for manipulating human bodies moving through unknown environments. The system has been performed in three distinct public environments: Sardinia, Italy, New York City, USA and Sofia, Bulgaria. The first public performance of Negotiations took place in Sardinia, where a prototype of the system was deployed.

Evacuation scenario was part of 'The Rooms Play' 2011 by The CopyCat Theatre. Upon entering the triangular room viewers are escorted to the room's center by two technicians. Each of the three walls contain one or two spinning elements. Viewers are instructed to relax and cooperate by a loud pre-recorded soundtrack consisitng of a female voice from a loud speaker. While viewers are scanned by an ambiguous blinking wand the distant sounds of mechanical devices and possibly a helicopter are heard.

Ongoing and evolving haunted sideshow environment with interactive carnival games & live performances.

A postbox is placed in public venues with instructions for people to post messages to me via snail mail. This began in 2003 during my own travels. I would make a postcard and mail it back to myself.
I have since asked viewers to mail me a message.
This has had quite limited success here in the US, however, while living in the UK the response was tremendous.
I compile the messages, scan them, and configure them into collapsible books/posters.