Gallery Purchase during the 2016 Art Acquisition Party with contributions from Malu Alvarez ’02, Jane Avinger, Susan Beaumont, Armando Bellmas, Lydia Bittner-Baird, Chai Lu Bohannan ’14, Elizabeth Bradford, Caroline Brooks ’15, Im Chan, John Christian, Howard Daniel ’72, Dan Drayer, Rosemary Droney, Jennifer Sudul Edwards, Emily Mehta Farlow ’11, Donna Ferguson, John Ferraris, Monica King Friel, Anna Grumman ’19, Kate Hall ’16, Richard C. Halton ’77, Elizabeth Harry ’14, Scott Harry, Stephanie Glaser ’92 & Thomas Hazel ’92, Burkhard Henke, Joan C. Huntley, John David Ike ’13, Caitlin James ’14, Chandra and Jimmie Johnson, Amy Clemmons King ’97, Jamie Knowles ’10, Nan & Bill Loftin ’81, Fred Lopp ’63, Frank Lord ’89, Susan Norman McAlister ’85, Dan McLawhorn ’70 & Rob Hazelgrove, Louise Mohamed, Kate Nation, Sherry Nelson, Ginny Newell ’78, Madeline Newman, Lia Newman, Sara Nordstrand ’14, Elena M. Paul ’85, Annie Porges, Tatum Pottenger ’14, Sara Pottenger ’79, Jeff Prince, Julia Rich ’14, Sam Riehl ’15, Barbara Schreiber, Lucy Sexton ’16, Holly Sinkway, Tom and Kathe Stanley, Elizabeth Stern, Mary Taibl, Brad Thomas, Ian Thomson ’15, Bob Trotman, Linda Vista, and Russ & Lyn Bolen Warren ’83.
Nancy Baker’s paper constructions combine digitally printed, hand-cut, and laser-cut forms. Though her imagery is roughly based on machine components, Baker creates her own visual vocabulary, altering the objects to become more generalized and geometric. On occasion, she weaves letters or phrases into the structures. Astoundingly, these arrangements are primarily comprised of paper — a material that Baker marvels at for its adaptability and transformative nature. Beginning with blank, white paper, Baker cuts, molds, layers, paints, and adds glitter, gold leaf, and printed commercial documents, ultimately creating dynamic, energetic, three-dimensional “lace” networks that are reminiscent of glittering gemstones, minerals, and rock formations.
Bibliography
Newman, Lia & Tyler Starr. Material Matters: Water, Pigment, and Light. Davidson, North Carolina: Van Every/Smith Galleries, Davidson College, 2016.
Blog Post: SEEN IN STORAGE: Nancy Baker by Emilie Hoke ’21
SEEN IN STORAGE: Eating Mist II, Emilie Hoke ’21
