Rush Baker IV

Region: South

Website: https://www.rushbakerstudio.com/

City / State: Riverdale Park, MD

 At the core of my practice lies a fascination with uncertainty and transform-ation. Inspired by spontaneous combustion—where fragments merge together to form hybrids that defy definition—I seek to expand perceptions of the world, offering new insights into the human condition.

Working across collage, plaster, concrete, resin, and paint, I create a destabilizing interplay between the real and digital. Layering historical imagery with gestural marks, I construct textured surfaces that convey the urgency and chaos of the sociopolitical landscape. Forms in my paintings break boundaries, suggesting both destruction and reconstruction.

Color plays a central role as well, functioning as both attraction and disruption. Vivid, sometimes overwhelming hues draw viewers in, mirroring the emotional intensity of chaotic historical scenes. By reimagining archival imagery, I blur past and present and challenge traditional boundaries of historical painting. The work foregrounds contemporary social and political themes, prompting reflection on how history is remembered or erased. My aim is to place viewers within the eye of history by offering a fresh perspective that invites reflection on the complexities of memory.