• Home
  • Art / Text
  • Articles, Criticism
  • Résumé
  • Painting Spits On Your Grave
  • Contact
  RC Baker art and writing 

R.C. BAKER

TEXT AND TALKS
            
2011–present
     Visiting critic, New York University Steinhardt MFA program in Studio Art 
​
2018–present     Sr. Editor and Archivist at the Village Voice

1994 -2018
     Author of articles on art, politics, and popular culture for The Village Voice, The Voice LiterarySupplement, The New York Times, Performing Arts Journal, and other publications

2014
     Delivered talk, Cold War Gray, at Bulgaria's National Gallery of Art in Sofia. With historical context provided by such imagery as classic surrealist paintings, Soviet propaganda photographs, and 1970s album covers, I explored the complex themes and aesthetic concepts surrounding American artist Brian Dailey’s photo collages.

2012
     "Moving Words"
Lecture on convergence of themes in 1960s film, including avant-garde shorts, the Zapruder home movie, the Batman TV series, and Godard's "Sympathy for the Devil" 
23rd Summer Festival, Bol, Croatia

2010
     “Illuminating the Text”
Lecture on artists who use text in visual art, with a video projection of my work in progress “President: ‘Why?’ ”
Molly Barnes Brown Bag Lecture Series, The Roger Smith Hotel, NYC

2010
     “Illuminating the Text”
Gallery talk on works combining art and text, including my book “The Terminal Century,” in conjunction with the exhibit “Disciplined Spontaneity”
Zone: Contemporary Art, NYC

2008
     Commentator for the Ovation channel documentary “Jeff Koons: Made in Heaven”

2008
     Panelist on the National Academy of Museum’s review of the Whitney Biennial
National Academy Museum, NYC

2008
     Juror on panel selecting group shows proposed by emerging curators
NURTUREart, Brooklyn, New York

2006 
     Panelist, “Manhattan Transfer,” exhibition discussion of artists’ working conditions and inspirations in New York City and surrounding areas
Zone Chelsea Gallery, NYC

2005
     Village Voice preview of “Come to Crumbland / R. Crumb & Robert Hughes: A Conversation” read by library president Paul LeClerc to introduce the underground cartoonist and the art critic at “Live from the NYPL” event
New York Public Library, Stephen A. Schwarzman Building, NYC

2004
     Moderator for panel “The Future of the Graphic Novel”
New York Is Book Country, New York University, NYC

1996
     Panelist, Contemporary Artists Talk on Art
The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts



​SOLO EXHIBITIONS

2018     “Noise for Signal”
Baahng Gallery, NYC 

2009     “. . . and Nixon coming” / The Draft
Zone: Contemporary Art, NYC 

2002     “The Terminal Century”
The Center for Book Arts, NYC

1996     “Recrudescence”
The Agouti, NYC


SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS

2017     "True Grit"
Baahng Gallery, NYC

2012     One of various writers collaborating on Christian Jankowski's installation, "Review" 
Friedrich Petzel Gallery, NYC

2012     "Lovely Days / Video Days," video projection of work-in-progress, "President: 'Why?' "
23rd Summer Festival, Bol, Croatia

2010     “Disciplined Spontaneity”
Zone: Contemporary Art, NYC

2004     “The Art Connection: Art for Public Spaces”
Meyerhoff Gallery, The Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD

2003     “ExSpace Book Project”
The Knitting Factory, NYC

2000     “Perimeters: Painting” 
LICK Gallery, Long Island City, NY

1999     “Outer Boroughs”
White Columns, NYC

1999     “Paper View”
Lincoln Center Gallery, Fordham University, NYC

1999     “5th Annual Juried Exhibition”
St. John’s University, NYC

1996     “Exhibition of Painting and Sculpture”
The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, Massachusetts

1996     “Digital Elements”
St. John’s University, NYC

1995     “Printwork 95”
1993     “New Directions 93”
1991     “New Directions 91”
Barrett House Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY

1989     “Selections 47”
The Drawing Center, NYC
  
--------------------------------

1994     Commissioned by Local 2110 to create installation commemorating 10 years of union organizing by
the United Auto Worker’s Technical, Office, and Professional branch
Amalgamated Lithographer’s Building, NYC

1992     Commissioned to create paintings and drawings for Ang Lee’s
“The Wedding Banquet,” 1994 Oscar Nominee for Best Foreign Language Film

1991     Designed title graphics for Hal Hartley’s short feature, “Theory of Achievement”
1989     Designed title graphics for Hal Hartley’s feature film, “The Unbelievable Truth”


AWARDS
 
2016     Arts Writers Grant
Creative Capital | Andy Warhol Foundation
 

1990     Painting Fellowship
New York Foundation for the Arts



SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Art Critic R.C. Baker Wins Warhol Foundation Grant"
The Village Voice, December 2, 2016

"The Critics Who Contributed to Christian Jankowski's 'Review'," Blouin ArtInfo, July 5, 2012, in conjunction with
"
Manhattan Over Our Heads," March 22, 2016, The Village Voice