Susanne Baker
I have an MFA in Book Arts from the University of Alabama where I learned the traditional techniques of letterpress printing, fine binding, marbling and other paper decoration techniques and hand papermaking.
My work is true to what I have learned and reflects my exposure to contemporary art and my background as a weaver.
In my limited edition book collaborations I work with materials and methods to follow both the personality and work of the author. The content should be more than visual. Inclusions in the paper such as ground up clothing or other material from the author that are relevant to the author and their work make the finished product much more alive.
For the decorative techniques in my limited editions as well as my other work I explore the contrasting elements of light, dark, shadow, color and pattern in an effort to create tension and visual interest. The physicality of paper and what can be done with it is a never ending source of inspiration to me.
In my art I enjoy working with symmetry and surprise. I mix color and texture in random ways in an effort to create a geometry that makes sense. I work within the boundary of the processes while allowing, and sometimes encouraging the random aspects to formulate into something unexpected - a way of communicating without words, in an abstract way.
