Issue link: http://www.wacmagazine.com/i/1528788
FALL / WINTER 2024 15 first take Color and composition combine to create joy Tom Bakker's art in the Grand Staircase Gallery By Mae Folsom Jacobson Tom Bakker has always been drawn to color. He first started drawing and sketching as a boy, a hobby that eventu- ally translated into a full-time job as an interior designer and artist. His work, full of brighter-than-life colors and abstract shapes, will be on display in the Grand Staircase Gallery mid-November through February. "I've always had the urge to create something nonrealistic," Bakker says. "My work has to have shape, color, and form that tells a story. What's important is if someone sees it and smiles." It's hard not to enjoy viewing Bak- ker's modern art pieces, most of which stretch across multiple canvases to create diptychs or triptychs of loud color and dancing shapes that fill the wall perfectly. Part of Bakker's expertise comes from his 40-year career as an interior designer. He works with clients to create bespoke art tailored to fit their homes and match desired color palettes. Still, he's not shy about experimenting. Take his pour paintings, in which he drops large volumes of paint over an angled canvas. Each color has a different viscosity, making it different to work with. "I can't control that, which I like," he says. "All I can do is pour and let them interact and meet." On the opposite end of the spectrum, Bakker's other work showcases elements of meticulous shape creation and ma- chine-like precision in applying the paint and choosing complementary colors. "My mind is influenced as I work," he says. "I'm always thinking about what can happen next and what I can do differently." e results are paintings that flow and develop, each telling a different story. "I want to paint my experiences," he says. "at's the deepest yearning I have as an artist—to express my lived experiences in my work." Stop by the Grand Staircase Gallery to see these stories yourself. Artist re- ception set for ursday, January 9. "Ocean Blues" and "Sunny Disposition" showcase Bakker's use of bright color and multiple canvases. T O M B A K K A R stairway artist