Christopher Baker

Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, USA

Artist statement

Christopher Baker is an artist living and working in New York City. His ongoing exploration and research of the metropolitan area coastline is the genesis of all his work- conceptual, sculptural and photographic. Every excursion is recorded using GPS and uploaded to Google Earth to create an ever expanding ring around the city’s landmass. Inspired by Dido’s bid for land to build Carthage (also known as the Oxhide Myth), Baker is encircling the city on foot to bring attention to this littoral environment- it’s history, physical changes and environmental condition. The treks are documented in photographs and materials for sculpture are gathered at or below the wrack line- the place where floating debris (including the ubiquitous broken reeds for which it is termed) is deposited along the shore by the changing tides. In the studio, Baker creates pieces built entirely of these found 18th and 19th century objects ranging from broken glass and ceramic shards to lost gold rings and silver medals to rusted canon balls and bullets. These archeological artifacts are assembled into provocative artworks concerning Colonialism, Manifest Destiny and so-called Divine Rights.

Artwork