Joshua Baird

I grew up in Utah where the Rocky Mountains, Great Basin and Colorado Plateau intersect forming some of Earth’s most sublime landscapes. Though you can move away from such a place, you can never part with it. My love of the Inter-Mountain West–its mystery and beauty, its expansive arid vistas and curious geologic formations–are the inspiration behind my artwork. Sometimes I paint it representationally, but often I am drawn to interpreting the landscape on a more abstract and universal level. People have asked why I go back and forth between the representational and the abstract. Many think I should focus on one particular style, be more consistent, develop my own unique niche in the art market. But the idea of creating a plan for the future style of my art career makes me claustrophobic.