Carter, Curtis L.

English

epublications@Marquette

Marquette Universitye-Publications@MarquettePhilosophy Faculty Research and Publications Philosophy, Department of3-1-2011Reginald Baylor, Milwaukee ArtistCurtis L. CarterMarquette University, curtis.carter@marquette.eduPublished version. Published in the newspaper entitled "Shepherd Express". March 1, 2011, A&EFeature. Publisher link. © 2011 Shepherd Express. Used with permission.TUESDAY, MARCH 1, 2011By Curtis L. Carter (by-author-146-1.html)By the age of 10 years, Reginald Baylor had realized that he must be an artist. What didthis mean? It meant that he would pursue this idea unrelentingly throughout his developingyears. Art school gave him skills and the opportunity to test his potential. And some yearson the road with a beautiful semi-truck provided time for reflection and observation of awide range of American life, as well as support for his family and his painting.My first encounter with Reginald Baylor took place during the planning for an exhibition atthe Haggerty Museum in Milwaukee, in 2004, where his paintings were shown along withsculptures by his brother, Trenton. I was impressed with the freshness of the paintings, andthe clear focus of the artist. At that time, his art had received little attention in the city. Itseemed to me that it would be only a matter of time before his talent blossomed.In the few years since our first meeting, Baylor has become one of the most promising ofmid-career artists working and living in Milwaukee. In 2009 he was the first artist to bechosen for a one-year residency in the Pfister Hotel artists' residency project. The Pfisteroffers a stipend plus 24-hour access to studio space located in the public area between theMason Street Grill and the Café at the Pfister, where visitors may observe the artist at workand discuss the work in process. Currently, Baylor is artistic director at the Mandel GroupCreative Studio in the Third Ward. The Mandel Group project is an alternative network forindependent artists to gain experience.With the support of his studio manager of the past six years, Heidi Witz, Baylor'sproductivity has increased steadily, resulting in a consistent, recognizable style that growsmore and more vibrant. His paintings are the result of a carefully conceived, visuallycomplex pictorial architecture that is first worked out in the artist's mind.After conception, the painting is laid on the canvas as a drawing. (He rightly knows that theNEWS (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/FLEX-37-NEWS.HTML) EVENTS (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/EVENTS)MUSIC (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/FLEX-34-MUSIC.HTML)A & E (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/FLEX-35-AE.HTML)DINING (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/ARTICLES.SEC-210-1-DINING-OUT.HTML)BLOGS (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/BLOGS) CONTESTS (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/CONTEST.HTML)EXTRAS (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/)CLASSIFIEDS (HTTP://EXPRESSMILWAUKEE.COM/FLEX-59-CLASSIFIEDS.HTML)NEWSLETTER (HTTP://VISITOR.CONSTANTCONTACT.COM/MANAGE/OPTIN/EA?V=001NHU2RKPRQOHDYO_5PDGU9A%3D%3D)Reginald Baylor, Milwaukee Artist http://expressmilwaukee.com/article-permalink-14029.html1 of 2 1/26/2015 1:41 PMfoundation of a good painting is grounded in drawing.) The drawing takes on new life as itbenefits from a clearly formed, straight-edged linear structure. Ruler-edged lines aresecured on the canvases with taped applications executed with precision, and filled withvibrant acrylic coloration. Careful manipulation of the lines allows for a wide variety ofshapes, allowing for both abstraction and representation.Each painting, whether an exterior landscape, a still life, or the interior of a dwelling, has astory to tell. And the stories are taken from the artist's life experiences. However, thestories are never didactic. Instead, they allow the pictorial qualities of color, line and shapeto direct the flow of the composition.Stylistically, Baylor's paintings recall elements of familiar 20th-century art, especially thestrong linear qualities of American precisionism (Charles Sheeler) and minimalism (DanFlavin). Like the pop artists James Rosenquist and Keith Haring, who are his heroes, Baylorreaches into the world outside of art in search of his images. But his art does not dissolveinto any of these possible influences. His voice is his own.The range of his subjects is increasingly wide. Landscapes such as Ovular Foliage (2004);neighborhood scenes as in Second Next Door Neighbor (2006); and social themes includingrace, as in Black and Blonde, Blonde and Black Paper Dolls (2009), all fit well into acoherent visual vocabulary. So do interior scenes such as Optional Accessories (2007) andthe whimsical The Story of Adam and Eve to the Melody of a 1970s Apple Jacks Cereal Box(2009). Through all of these explorations, Baylor continues his artistic journey with thepromise of more to come.Reginald Baylor's studio in the Marshall Building (207 E. Buffalo St.) is open to the public 9a.m.-5 p.m Monday through Friday. His art is also accessible on the Baylor Studio website(www.reginaldbaylor.com (http://www.reginaldbaylor.com)).Curtis L. Carter, Ph.D., is professor of aesthetics at Marquette University's Department ofPhilosophy. Formerly founding director and chief curator of the Haggerty Museum of Art,Carter is currently international curator and honorary director of the Beijing Museum ofContemporary Art and president of the International Association for Aesthetics.03.03.2011 at 10:402599.html)m.html)seum.html)-rugs-villa-da.html)2599s-tanya-paul.html)580%2598uncommon-e.com/article-permalink-14029.html2 of 2 1/26/2015 1:41 PM

Reginald Baylor, Milwaukee Artist

https://epublications.marquette.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1492&amp;context=phil_fac

Reginald Baylor, Milwaukee Artist

Abstract

Similar works

Full text

Available Versions

epublications@Marquette