Does your intuition change as you learn and develop? Having gained a lot of knowledge and experience, does that affect the choices you make, leaning away from the gut feeling which is actually important to hold on to? Although it can be hard at times, Deborah Baker tries to remain intuitive and progressive. Thereby sticking to what she learned in the 70’s. Back then documentary photography was commonplace, but at her photography school, she was taught to be progressive, to appreciate photography for artistic purposes. Color photography was just beginning really and it was later in the US that she started applying this more. It’s different from black & white photography in that the printing process and required quality of the images is different. She and her peers still needed to get used to it. They intuitively learned and progressed.
Over time she had done several things in photography, when in the 90’s digital photo manipulation and photography entered the scene. It was around half way 90’s that Deborah started using early versions of Photoshop that were way too heavy for her computer. She was learning all over again, reusing the lessons learned in the 70’s to be progressive. Intuitively learning. Over time, using Photoshop and it’s ability to change images after they have been taken has also changed how she looks at colors: she knows she’s going to do something with the colors after the photo is taken. Deborah will enhance the colors to create a better rendition of her world. With that in mind, the digital era has made colors more important. She’s learned so much since the first course she took in the 70’s, it’s as if her choices have become based on her knowledge. But it’s important to remain intuitive. And doing that isn’t that easy.
Her garden is another passion for Deborah. Having worked on her garden for 10 years now she welcome’s people to visit it yearly at the National Garden Scheme (an English event where private gardens are opened to the public). And she has combined her two passions now with the In Paradiso series, now being exhibited at L A Noble Gallery in London. In Paradiso is a series of photo’s of her garden, but not the pretty flower pictures we all know. She layers images, photoshops them, and creates something new for us, but for Deborah the images reveal her perception of the layered garden she has worked so hard on to create. The images are created by laying images on top of each other, and then, intuitively, cutting bits away from each layer creating depth as if it were a new garden. With her images she’s combining two different audiences: those interested in photography and those interested in gardening and she’s letting people into two worlds Deborah Baker is very passionate about. Both worlds that shine with color and her ever strong intuitiveness to make something that represents her.
You can see her photo’s and meet Deborah Baker at her representing gallery L A Noble Gallery, in London this Tuesday evening, October 22nd at 18.30 for the artists talk (5 pounds to attend).
