Blood Moon: Stephen Baker
Baker’s ‘Blood Moon’ tells the story of two characters who come together under the seemingly impending event of a Blood Moon, a total eclipsing of the moon whereby refracted sunlight from Earth‘s atmosphere bathes the moon in a reddish-orange hue.
Both spectacular and eerie, many people have speculated its meaning and origins. Through the ages many cultures have created their own myths related to such mystical sights, both being a bad or good omen.
This latest collection of works, as with previous instalments finds Baker’s stylised characters once again roaming a minimal landscape devoid of material reference. Female figures are seen posing against angular geometric forms, sometimes it would seem interacting, and others quite separate. Their relationship is unclear however they seem to be comfortable with each other’s presence. As they await the rising of the blood moon, a ritualistic dance is performed to honour the occasion. Finally, the two figures embrace and are bathed in the moon’s sea of red not knowing what may come next.
With ‘Blood Moon’ we see Baker still adopting an escapist ideology with the aspirational figures drawn from fashion cultural references, posing model-like with their holiday island swimwear in apathetic scenes of lethargy. The only difference this time around is that there’s an unexplained phenomenon occurring which seems to threaten the idyllic setting.
A warm sunburnt palette adorns the latest series. Carefully constructed lines hold the solid areas of colour together as they flow through the scenes and out to the canvas edge.
Forever intrigued with our pursuit of the aspired lifestyle as a means of escape from the real world, Baker plays with both this reference and the idea that art itself is a manifestation of a means of escape.
