Kristin Baker (b. 1975)

Accelerating into the distance, only a glimpse of a car is recognizable in the foreground of Ride The Lightning. A myriad of flashing lights creates an electric display of speed and vivacity that intensely conveys what it feels like to be behind the wheel of a racing car. Kristin Baker’s works frequently border on abstraction yet always retain recognizable hints of the figurative. Here, the composition is fragmented into collaged rectangles of grey smears reminiscent of burnt rubber tire skid marks. Baker contrasts these mimetic gestures with the precise graphic depiction of the car elements and grandstand. In this manner, the artist brings to life some of the core principles of car racing – she emphasizes the constant tug of war between accurate control and impulsive risk. Painted on PVC using tools that accentuate clean-cut lines and flat planes of colour, Baker’s technique exudes power and kinetic energy.