Here, we ask designers to take a selfie and give us an inside look at their life.
Age: 35
Occupation: Artist.
Instagram: @chrisbaas.nyc
Hometown: San Diego.
Studio location: Tribeca, New York, and Encinitas, California.
Describe what you make: I’m a visual artist, which can make this question a bit awkward for me. I have an innate urge to create, and when my works are most successful, it takes me more time to comprehend the reason behind their creation and what they represent.
The most important thing you’ve designed to date: Apart from my sculptural practice, I’ve also worked on a few architecture and interior projects. Recently, I’ve been very excited about a midcentury-modern renovation that I’m working on in Encinitas. It’s going to be my home base near my family on the West Coast. However, one of my most memorable projects this year was designing an engagement ring for my fiancé. Although I used to design jewelry, this particular ring was a challenging project, especially since my fiancé is a jewelry designer herself. It was even more special because her dad is a jewelry maker, and he hand-carved, cast, and set the diamond on the ring. We both love it, and I’m grateful that we were able to pull it off.
Describe the problem your work solves: I often switch between design and art, but currently, I’m focused on an abstract sculptural series. These pieces don’t necessarily aim to solve a specific problem—their purpose is simply to exist and hopefully evoke meaning for someone, somewhere. However, my sculptural work involves a lot of problem-solving and experimentation with different methods and techniques. I’ve found solutions often come through trial and error, and sometimes it’s in moments outside the studio when I have a breakthrough and find ways to refine my process.
Describe the project you’re working on now: My current body of work consists of highly fluid, amorphous, sculptural relief paintings with figurative subject matter and minimal composition. The viewer responses vary widely—some find them calming and peaceful, while others find them erotic. As I spend more time in the studio and the paintings materialize, they begin to feel almost alive. They definitely hold a presence.
A new or forthcoming project we should know about: I have my first solo show, called “Adagio,” with Galerie Ground (80 Richards Street, Brooklyn) on May 18! Adagio, as a musical term, is associated with a slower tempo. In my latest series of visceral sculptures, I aimed to recreate this sense of slowness by using forms that seem to be suspended in a weightless environment. The collection is titled Adagio and intends to serve as a remedy to the flat, fast-paced world of digital screens. Through minimally gestured figurative and still-life compositions, viewers are encouraged to take a moment to appreciate dimension and the subtle details that often go unnoticed in our daily lives.
What you absolutely must have in your studio: I have over-the-ear Bang & Olufsen headphones that should look absolutely beautiful but are covered in paint, which seems criminal… Their home is always in the studio.
What you do when you’re not working: I dabble on the piano and give my pup too many smooches.
Sources of creative envy: I’m a big fan of Mark Leckey, Matthew Barney, Alejandro Jodorowsky. Music and film are really hard to compete with. I saw Ragnar Kjartansson: The Visitors, an immersive musical installation at SFMOMA, and I just totally wept. Music exposes so much of a person’s soul—it’s much more direct and doesn’t require an artist’s statement.
The distraction you want to eliminate: I recently bought a lock box for my phone, so that problem is out! Other than that, I’m pretty obsessed with art and design, so really they’re distractions for the other things in my life, which I’m okay with.
Concrete or marble? Marble.
High-rise or townhouse? Townhouse.
Remember or forget? Remember.
Aliens or ghosts? Ghosts.
Dark or light? Dark.
