ZuCot Gallery Presents Georgette Baker

How has art impacted your life?
I have found art to be an excellent vehicle for communicating deeper thoughts and complex issues that many people can relate to. Art is also a way of revisiting the past without opening painful wounds.

Describe your art style.
I would describe my art style as layered collage using found objects, vintage photographs and ephemera to tell a story and develop a visual narrative.

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How did you begin creating art?
I began creating art by using my dad's construction and carpentry tools. My Dad and Uncle built a large garage shop next to my uncle's house. They didn't mind us hanging out there playing with the tools. The shop was one and a half stories high with tall frosted glass windows, with laminated wire mesh. There were all kinds of mechanic and carpentry tools. It had a motor lift for pulling engines out of cars. It was an amazing place.
Once, I tried to make a pair of denim clogs but I couldn't get the soles to match! I also found a roll of heavy canvas tarp and did my first paintings on it.

When did you realize that you had the talent to earn a living creating art?
I always knew that I had the talent to earn a living but I had a young family. I decided to go to college to become a dietitian and make a living in healthcare. I made art but most of it I gave as gifts. I took a printmaking class and created an edition of ten etchings.  I gave one to a relative who was moving out of state and a few months later I got a call for a replacement. Apparently a friend visited and purchased it off their wall. I was offended but it was also a valuable lesson learned.

How important is it for artists to have representation like ZuCot Gallery?
It's important for artists to have representation with galleries like ZUCOT gallery.  They are engaging the community by means of the variety of programs that they offer. They do much more than sell art off of the wall; they're developing a model that many galleries and museums should emulate and build upon.

What does success look like to you?
Success to me is the ability to interact with people of various ages and backgrounds. Art is really about the imprint that we leave on the hearts and minds of our audiences.

What do you see your career in the next five years?
Where do I see my career in the next 5 years? I see myself building 3D sculptural forms in addition to continuing with my collage narrative.