ART: Welcome to the Arroscia Residency, the Arroscia Valley and Pieve di Teco. What are your first impressions? 

KRB: My first impression is that the pace of life here is much more leisurely than I am accustomed to. It appears to me that people tend to take their time, enjoy seeing each other, and are not in a rush. I have gathered that food and relationships are the heart of this community. Additionally, the colors I observe in the environment and painted on the buildings- hues of lemon sorbet, sage, apricot, and faded coral- mirror the warmth that I have experienced from all the people so far.

ART: How would you describe your artistic style?

KRB: To translate my work into language provides a narrow snapshot of the scope of what I create, but for the moment, I most closely identify with and label my work as figurative abstraction. The drawings and paintings are not based solely in reality, but reference it and incorporate recognizable elements as access points for the viewer.  From there, reality shifts into something less limited and more spacious, with room to breathe. The element of abstraction allows the poetry and formlessness of the spiritual realm to enter the conversation.

ART: What's the most unusual material you've ever incorporated into your art?

KRB: My earlier paintings often incorporated a wide range of found materials—corroded metal fragments, railroad spikes, soil, concrete, wax, dried herbs, sand, burlap, straw, and more—embedded into the surface of the oil paint, creating a richly textured and tactile experience. In my past performance work, I used elemental ingredients such as milk, wine, honey, figs, salt, grains, spices, and homemade bread in ritual-based actions, with the remnants of these performances evolving into immersive installation pieces.

ART: Can you walk me through your creative process when starting a new piece?

KRB: Visual imagery starts to percolate in my mind through the tangential practices of writing, poetry, and music. A phrase or an archetype runs through my mind and I chase the image. These images are hinged upon my personal experiences while the language that accompanies often speaks to something more metaphysical and transcendent. My paintings often begin with broad, gestural marks that evoke movement and the presence of body, and vibrate from the intensity of unadulterated pigments. From there, I begin to draw with paint, layering lines to create overlapping forms. At a certain point, I deliberately try to lose the image, obscuring the canvas with veils of paint in the hope of uncovering something more visceral and honest. For me, a successful painting surpasses the limitations of what my mind had originally envisioned, revealing deeper and more urgent layers of my psyche.

ART: If your art could speak, what would it say about you?

KRB: “She is deliberate, and not concerned with erasure. There is a lot underneath the surface that not everyone has access to. She wants to talk about what is unseen. Patience is greatly rewarded. ”

ART: If you could have dinner with any artist (dead or alive), who would it be and why?

KRB: I would love to spend an evening conversing with Æmen Ededéen (Joshua Hagler)- my favorite contemporary painter, based in New Mexico. As beautifully written by John Yau, his work is “inhabited by higher spirits”.  His paintings are haunting and mysterious, and touch upon a lot of the same themes I am concerned with in my own work- namely, spiritualism and otherworldly experiences in the wilderness. I would love to hear more about the specific inspirations, processes, and stories that shape the paintings. Bonus if his equally talented artist-wife Maja Ruznic could also join us

ART: What's one piece of advice you'd give to your younger artistic self?

KRB: To charge forth with no fears or expectations. To not pay any attention to external noise. To only paint what truly moves me and makes me feel alive. That seeking truth and vulnerability is the most noble of pursuits. That the other side of discomfort is revelation.

To learn more visit Kristina’s website: https://www.kristinarosebaker.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krbakerart/