Money Sex Power, Darren Baker in Attendance
Artist of calibre, precision and technical excellence, Darren Baker will be at Gallery Rouge Harpenden to celebrate the launch of a magnificent new collection of original paintings. The 'Money, Sex, Power' collection has been over a year in the making and will feature a series of drawings and paintings exploring these core forces by portraying two models and Darren himself in a corridor of images.
Waiting Original Oil on Canvas £15,000
The artist's muses are portrayed in a series of poses conveying their personality and individuality. The narrative of the artist as director, and models as subjects, is followed throughout the series leading to the climax of the final masterpiece portraying the artist and models together. The sequence of artworks is a commentary on the 3 motivating forces in society and the viewer/subject dynamic. It also references various themes from the history of western art.
Darren Baker with his portrait of Her Majesty the Queen
A renowned portrait artist, Baker has produced an impressive portfolio of portraits for sporting bodies and personalities from the world of football and beyond. He has worked alongside and produced paintings for such star names as Lewis Hamilton, David Ginola, Peter Schmeichel, Henrik Larsson, Prince Naseem, Nigel Mansell and Jonny Wilkinson, as well as PFA Footballer of the Year portraits of John Terry, Steven Gerrard, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Teddy Sheringham. His non-sporting portraits include HRH Prince Charles and Tony Blair which hang in St James Palace and Downing Street respectively.
Of special note is Baker's collaboration with the Royal British Legion; commissioned to paint an Official Portrait of their Patron Her Majesty the Queen to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the organisation, Darren Baker reminisces about his extraordinary experience in 2011;
"A commission to paint Her Majesty, not only an incredible person but also the most famous woman in the world, is something every portrait artist must dream of. I was completely staggered and even now, after the portrait has been painted and unveiled, I can't quite believe that I have had such an amazing experience. It has been the greatest honour of my career.
The Queen's wristwatch is set at 11am, the moment at which the nation observes Remembrance and the spray of five poppies on her brooch highlights the poppy as the ultimate symbol of the debt we owe. I felt it was essential to make this idea central to the portrait as I am acutely aware of the wonderful work the legion does for our service men and women"
Unveiled at a commemorative service in Westminster Abbey in autumn 2011 by Princess Anne, the painting was widely revered by critic and press.
Darren's contemporary paintings are increasingly sought after by collectors from around the world . This amazing collection of artwork will visit Gallery Rouge this autumn and the original works will be complemented by a new series of limited edition prints. The exhibition represents an opportunity to meet one of the UK's most celebrated talents. Darren Baker is happy to pose for photographs or personalise your artwork. This awesome set of new images are available from just £295 for a collectable Limited Edition print and original artwork starting from as little as £2500. Darren Baker art is set to rise in value year on year. His name will never be forgotten and he will go down in history as one of the worlds greatest realism artists. A shrewd investment for any art collector.
Study for Jack, Limited Edition on Paper, £295