Utopian & Dystopian Environments – Paintings by Artist Stephen Baker

I usually veer towards artists who have a distinct style that really pops out at first glance. Painter Stephen Baker is one of those, an artist currently based in Melbourne who paints on canvas by hand depitcting various characters and scenes using strong colours and lines. Although seemingly one-dimensional, as you delve deeper you start to understand the complex themes at hand and how these can be interpreted from what’s been constructed on the canvas.

His themes usually have some kind of architectural inspiration, hoping to create a dream like landscape that’s defined by two distinct colour palettes, alternating between warm and moody. The idea that Stephen plays with utopian and dystopian environments is especially intriguing, creating a fictional naritive that has links to everyday activities that humans might participate in. Maybe there something in the fact that we often seek distraction and relief from the unpleasant realities of life, often engaging in fantasy?

Your interpretation might be different but in my eyes his work stands out by his skill as an artist alone. I picked out a series of works from his website but you can also go over and view more on his shop where sells a small selection of paintings.

stephenbakerart.com

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