Baker Overstreet is an entertainer and also thinks a lot about entertaining. He has made abstract paintings inspired by fantastical stage sets with laser light shows and fancy curtains. He hasinhabited the persona of a character named June who appears in his paintings, performing like clown in the gallery space. Now he is making these wonderful goblin sculptures that are puppet-like but not meant to be played with. 

In this most recent work, GOBLIN GAZEBO, Overstreet has made a group of sculptures that bring to mind puppets, dolls and French clowns. Made with canvas and bits and bobbles including wood, pus pins, and found materials, they are painted in a limited color palette andreference the body; their nipples are highlighted, their ribcage depicted, they’re wearing a mask as a costume or even sometimes inner emotions are painted. They’re funny and fun but alsoslump over and are seriously hurting or at least dealing with some things. They are like voodoo dolls, a vehicle for transferring emotions or like the scary puppets in Mr. Rogers’ Neighborhood of Make-Believe, used to communicate and understand big feelings. These little aliens are doing a big job of entertaining and sharing by just sitting still.

ARTIST BIO

Baker Overstreet (b.1981) is an Augusta, Georgia born artist living and working in Brooklyn, New York.

ARTIST STATEMENT

GOBLIN GAZEBO is a collection of sculptures that portray various characters - “goblins” - figures that reference the hand puppet, but are inanimate and not playthings. Overstreet uses minimal materials and colors that further enforce their static nature. The implied movement of this sinister yet jolly collection of characters asks the viewer to project their own narrative, using the figures to set the stage for a production of their own imagining.