Christine Baum | Artist & Printmaker

“Golden Thread” is my series of mass intention cards. I play the role of the clergy as I offer up my silent ceremony for the departed. I do not recite a prayer, nor do I consecrate a mass-manufactured form. I dedicate my time. I create each card by hand; inking and wiping and printing and painting. I note the date and time for each mass intention card and offer up that moment in time.

This series of conversational pattern designs are linocuts hand printed on Washi paper scrolls. Catholic motifs populate these natural papers in an infinite repeat pattern, and these prints behave more like wallpapers than bibles or illuminated manuscripts in their scale. I envision the interior spaces that each of these wallpapers would adorn; a panic room or fall out shelter, a lost and found box or claims office, and a confessional booth. I name the patterns accordingly.

In her lotus series Christine Baum presents that iconic flower, synonymous with beauty and perfection, in a striking and unusual perspective. The vantage point is that of someone completely immersed in this aquatic world, thus shifting the focus away from the bloom and onto all that surrounds it. This series is a mediation of the water’s surface; how it delineates a lucid world above from the chaotic network of stems below. The linework is accomplished via trace monotype technique, where a thick layer of black ink yields feathery and gestural strokes. This line drawing serves as the blueprint for subsequent layers. Thin veils of colors are added in shapes that overlap and abut, which creates a print that resembles Ukiyo-e.

Drawing on site is my favorite exercise.

I carry my travel studio on my back and climb by foot to the best vantage point. I record the measurements line by line in a race against the changing vista or the end of my stamina. Being IN and OF the location is a good reminder to pack light.

Sometimes there’s an audience watching me and I like how I’m part teacher, part performer, part magician in making something from nothing. It’s good practice to stay focused while being accepting of friendly distractions; a great mental exercise.

My mother's missing glove is a recurring motif in my work. I've used dust and grit to create these images. I think about how much time has passed since she died, how the dust still hasn't settled for me. I think about the dust collecting on her things and the dust collecting on my memories of her. I think about ashes to dust, and the possessions she once held so dear are useless without the pair.