January 2016

Haynes Galleries presents “John Baeder: Work from 1962 to 2015”
Extended through January 30, 2016

NASHVILLE— “John Baeder: Work from 1962 to 2015” has been met with such enthusiasm from collectors, critics, and the general public that Haynes Galleries is extending the exhibition through January 30, 2016. Paul Polycarpou, editor of Nashville Arts Magazine has called the show the highlight of the art year in Nashville, adding “the show is stellar. The presentation is stellar. The work is stellar.” The show has also seen a steady stream of visitors eager to see the retrospective so the extension was a natural decision.

Included in the show is work from each decade of Baeder’s fifty-year career and then some. The first painting he ever made— a plein air of a cabin Baeder painted when he was 14— is on display as well as his personal collection of postcards, photographs, and knick-knacks which are often the source material for his paintings.

At a recent art talk and tour of the show, Baeder gave valuable insight into his career, his process, and several of the pieces in the show.

Of his iconic diner paintings, Baeder said he paints the diners and roadside restaurants to preserve parts of our society and culture. The acclaimed series recognizes a part of our cultural history— one that’s rapidly disappearing— but not for the sake of nostalgia. Instead they are about the greater sense of intimacy felt at the eateries and how each is incredibly unique establishment.

The diner paintings might be full of color but Baeder is also strongly interest in working in black and white. He says he’s drawn to it since he grew up in a visual culture of black and white. He watched television in black and white and flipped through Life Magazine’s influential photographs. The Aero series, a group of paintings of classic military aircrafts, has been his avenue to explore painting in monochrome palettes. Baeder says it has been much more challenging than expected but the results incredibly satisfying. The first few in the series were more detailed but now Baeder is a little looser in his approach, attempting to record the character of the classic planes.

One of the most personal groupings in the exhibition is the photographic still lifes. Each element in these beautifully lit still lifes service a purpose pushing the narrative along. He includes faux fruits and vintage model cars from his own collection to play with the illusion. Personal items, like antique perfume bottles from Baeder’s family’s perfume company, are included to tell the story of the Baeder name.

With more than fifty years of artwork to see, visitors to “John Baeder: Work form 1962 to 2015” will journey through time and one man’s career. But Baeder isn’t done yet. In his 70s now, he says he’s only just started.