Label Type
Cultural/Historical ContextLabel
Curator, artists, and educator Don Baum was one of the most prominent Chicago Imagist artists and their greatest promoter. As Exhibitions Director at the Hyde Park Art Center, Baum put on an exhibition entitled Hairy Who and shook the art world, subsequently creating the Chicago Imagists from the exhibited artists. Outside of curatorial work, Baum himself was an artist who was a member of the Monster Roster, another precursor group to the Imagists. He is largely known for his sculptural, found object works that have obscure and often disturbing imagery. In the later part of his career, Baum created small, sculptural buildings such as Untitled (for Blanche) influenced by thatched structures in South East Asia. After not producing art for a long period, Baum was introduced to rural thatched structures in South East Asia that were similar to the cabins of Michigan’s upper peninsula, where he was raised. This work, and others like it, still have key Chicago Imagist traits such as enigmatic imagery and unique materials. The inside and outside of Untitled (for Blanche) is covered with nature scenes and resembles the many rural homes and landscapes of his experiences in Michigan’s upper peninsula. Baum’s work is highly personal, unique, and ambiguous creating unusual and captivating found object works. The personal nature of his constructed homes is clear, for not only is the home an incredibly intimate place but the found objects he uses, a cutting board in this case, often come from inside homes. The painted images often come from his own personal experience as Untitled (for Blanche) shows scenes that are very similar to those in Michigan’s rural forests, an area that Baum is closely familiar with. Baum’s own history and interests guide his work, and it is that personality and enigmatic quality that keep an audience engaged.