Today we’d like to introduce you to Erica Baptiste.
Every artist has a unique story. Can you briefly walk us through yours?
I can’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t making art. Even as a child I would copy the cartoon characters in my favorite books and make dolls out of recycled toilet paper rolls. I continued drawing and painting as a teenager and took private lessons with artist Barbara Leger, an accomplished marine oil painter. At this time I began to take art more seriously. I went on to study fine art at UMass Amherst where I was introduced to the masters who would become my biggest sources of inspiration. It was here that I had my first studio space which I took advantage of by experimenting with the messiest materials I could get my hands on. I fell in love with chalk pastel, oil paint and watercolor. After college, I packed by bags and set off to participate in a few international artist residencies.
Immersing myself in new cultures provided more inspiration than I knew what to do with. I was overwhelmed with the beauty and vastness of the world and the possibilities ahead of me. Upon returning to the U.S. I found myself conflicted and faced with the challenge of making a living. I saw that the world around me was embracing digital mediums and felt the need to participate. I learned the Adobe suite and tried my hand at art direction, photography, graphic design and digital drawing. Since then my life has been an amalgamation of fine art and digital mediums, each informing one another and shaping me as an individual and an artist all the while.
Please tell us about your art.
In my work I reflect on the beauty that I see in the world by abstracting and re-contextualizing forms I find in nature. I study plant, animal and human life and explore their relationships with the environment around them. Themes of subconscious thought, hallucinations and dreaming are also consistent throughout my work. Nature and the human figure are my greatest sources of inspiration but I am also influenced by the great Surrealists of the 20th century.
Given everything that is going on in the world today, do you think the role of artists has changed? How do local, national or international events and issues affect your art?
If the question is asking if politics and cultural events impact the role of an artist then I would say no, it is up to the artist’s discretion whether or not they want to participate in these conversations and I believe that art stretches beyond the realms of politics and culture. If you are asking whether or not time changes an artist’s role in society I would say yes because technology directly and severely impacts the art world. Although there are artists today who use techniques from the past, we are all a product of our time and the artists who came before us. I find it impossible to truly separate the artist from the time in which they live.
How or where can people see your work? How can people support your work?
Instagram: Eb_russo_art
I have been working to cultivate a community of friends and art lovers on Instagram so this is a great platform to connect on.
In Person:
-Brookline Open Studios: April 28th & 29th from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm @ The Makery – 12 Sewall Ave, Brookline
-Jamaica Plain Artist Association Sprint Show, Closing reception: Thursday May 3, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m at The Footlight Club, Jamaica Plain
-I live in Jamaica Plain and love to meet up with other artists and art lovers in the area! Shoot me an email any time at erica.russo.b@gmail.com
Website (currently under construction): ericabaptisteart.com
Contact Info:
- Website: ericabaptisteart.com
- Email: erica.russo.b@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eb_russo_art/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ericabaptisteart/
Image Credit:
Erica Baptiste
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