Jim Baker is a New Mexican multi-media artist working in the creation of three dimensional altered Bibles and religious sculptures. His work is strongly influenced by spiritual symbols, metaphors, and artifacts. It's not surprising that Jim's 40 years of experience as a pastor informs his sacred art work.
"My art conveys the belief that Holy Scripture cannot be fully interpreted and applied without metaphor, symbol and story. Jesus took what he saw around him.......animals, flowers, trees, vines, bread, wine, yokes and used them as metaphors and parables to communicate truth. My art reflects the deep connection between the Holy Scriptures of my Judeo-Christian faith tradition, the Torah and the Bible, and the metaphors and symbols requisite to their understanding, while also respectfully representing the spiritual traditions of indigenous peoples from around the world."
The pages of each worn and weathered Bible are carefully and prayerfully torn and sewed back together with an ancient Ethiopian Coptic stitching and draped over a religious metaphorical or symbolic structure. Jim says, "The inspiration to re-stich old Bibles (1700’s – 1800’s) of different languages that are no longer in use comes from the word religion, derived from the Latin word Religio, meaning to re-bind…..a word used in scripture to reflect God's desire to re-connect us to Him, ourselves, and others. The U-shaped drape of each repurposed Bible represents God’s Word as a container providing outer structure, direction, and guidance for our lives.
The inside of the U-shaped container represents the contents of our inner spiritual lives, the communing with God in our spirit through prayer, reflection, contemplation, and creation." Jim's work has been shown at the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival, Abiquiu Studio Tour, The Lavender Festival, Gallery Arriba at the Abiquiu Inn, Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos, and is on permanent exhibit at the Jemez Fine Art Gallery in Jemez Springs.
To view Jim’s current work go to: https://www.sacredstructures.org/art If you have questions, desire to inquire about purchasing Jim’s art, or discuss a commissioning
.
