Ingrid Baars graduated from the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam in the early nineties and worked as an independent illustrator and photographer until 2009 when she decided to concentrate solely on her own artistic development, which previously coexisted with her commercial activities.
Her signature style came into being and grew from collage to full-blown digital treatment of her images as can be traced in previous series like ‘About Face’, ‘Inside/Outside’ and ‘Artistlovers’.
‘l’Afrique!’ is a fascinating on-going project inspired by the rich African cultural heritage in all its diversity both human and non-human. The integration of classical African cult objects with real women transcend the natural and constitute an otherworldly realm that feels near but is, upon closer inspection, quite unsettling. The aesthetic and the romantics of beauty are imbued with a deeper sense of awareness, of consciousness. Beautiful, yes but powerful as well. Although very much construed, her images create their own reality and seem to possess a life of their own.
With her innate aesthetic compass and quintessential style she manages to evoke a phantasmagorical universe.
Her signature style came into being and grew from collage to full-blown digital treatment of her images as can be traced in previous series like ‘About Face’, ‘Inside/Outside’ and ‘Artistlovers’.
‘l’Afrique!’ is a fascinating on-going project inspired by the rich African cultural heritage in all its diversity both human and non-human. The integration of classical African cult objects with real women transcend the natural and constitute an otherworldly realm that feels near but is, upon closer inspection, quite unsettling. The aesthetic and the romantics of beauty are imbued with a deeper sense of awareness, of consciousness. Beautiful, yes but powerful as well. Although very much construed, her images create their own reality and seem to possess a life of their own.
With her innate aesthetic compass and quintessential style she manages to evoke a phantasmagorical universe.
1- When did you decide to pursue art/photography as a career? Ingrid Baars: Long ago. I think when I was around 18 years old. Before this age I thought I might be a ballet dancer but I got rejected on the dance academy when I was 11, I cried my eyes out. Later when I was 17 I went to the Ballet Academy with the idea of becoming a ballet instructor…but I stopped after only a few months of being only average. I realized I could never be anything else but a good amateur in this world and that is not what I wanted – mediocrity…. So I decided to go to the Academy of Arts and focus on my other passion: drawing. This turned into drawing/painting/collage/photography.., everything at the same time, this is how I, slowly by slowly, developed my own digital collage photography style.
But 2 years ago I made a much more conscious and important choice. I decided to truly focus only on my own art. No more distraction of commercial assignments. I am much more serious about my art now compared to when I was younger. And way more passionate.
But 2 years ago I made a much more conscious and important choice. I decided to truly focus only on my own art. No more distraction of commercial assignments. I am much more serious about my art now compared to when I was younger. And way more passionate.
2- What are your goals as an artist? To be a ‘Stayer’. To keep on being passionate and to be able to work until I’m at least 90 years old. To stay young at heart. To continue to grow and to be enormously successful, worldwide!
3- What's your favorite place to developed your ideas/work? That precious, divine feeling of being ‘inspired’. Unfortunately It doesn’t happen to me every day. It’s an exciting, explosive consciousness in my brain. I know exactly what to do and 10 times faster then when I’m in my ‘normal’ more flat/ floating state of mind. This can happen anywhere, but it has the biggest effect when I’m in the room where my computer is. I close the door, put on some music and get to work.
SPHINX, 2012, C-print on Diasec/Dibond 110 X 180 cm, Ed. 7
4- Where in the world is your favorite place to see art? I do not have a favorite place to see art. But I have good experiences at the Tate Modern in London for instance. I also love the V&A in London where they let you shoot the objects up close and personal. I use this in my work. But I also like to see art at a good art fair and any place where I can see archeology.
5- What exhibit, that you have seen within the last year, has most influenced you? I am much more influenced by watching The Game of Thrones then by a specific exhibition that I have seen this last year.
5- What exhibit, that you have seen within the last year, has most influenced you? I am much more influenced by watching The Game of Thrones then by a specific exhibition that I have seen this last year.
6- Do you collect anything? No. I can’t keep the concentration that is needed to collect and I don’t have the patience either. But this year I discovered Pinterest and I find this a great way to organize and ‘collect’ all things that interest me and to clear my head. I hate chaos.
7 - If you could choose anyone to see your work, who would he or she be? Gertrude Stein. But I’m too late.
8- What is the greatest compliment anyone has ever paid to you regarding your artwork? Just this morning, somebody on FB send me a message saying that he has “..not been so moved by the power of someone's artwork since seeing the first show Francis Bacon did at the Met in the 70's.” Wow!
10. Last one, Who would you love to see answering this same questions? Kate MccGwire.
10. Last one, Who would you love to see answering this same questions? Kate MccGwire.
