Artist Statement: These are the type of leg cuffs used on the English slave ships of the 17th and 18th centuries. It is a stark reminder of the cruelty of slavery, regrettably often justified as being "biblical." The title, the cross, and the Bible are incorporated in this piece to symbolize what we read in Galatians 5:1 – "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ has made all people free, and not be entangled again with the yoke of bondage."
Bio: Jim Baker is a New Mexican multi-media artist working in the creation of three dimensional altered Bibles and Christian art. His work is strongly influenced by spiritual and religious symbols, metaphors, and artifacts.
It's not surprising that Jim's 40 years of experience as a Southern Baptist minister in Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee 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 modeled this when he 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, stories, and symbols requisite to their understanding."
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 reclaim and 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 Re-ligio, meaning to re-bind…..a word used in scripture to reflect God's desire to re-connect us to Him, to our true selves, and to others. My prayer is that my art will move people to reflect upon the divine image and likeness of God in themselves, others, and all creation, and that they will be inspired by the truth found in Holy Scripture."
"The U-shaped drape of each repurposed Bible represents God’s Word as a container providing a vessel for our belief system and 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. The structure that each Bible is draped over represents the systematic framework, discipline, and order necessary to anchor and nurture one's spiritual life."
Jim's art can be found in homes, churches, colleges, and businesses throughout the South and Southwest. His work has been shown at the Recycle Santa Fe Art Festival, Abiquiu Studio Tour, The Lavender Festival, Gallery Arriba in Abiquiu, Fuller Lodge Art Center in Los Alamos, Convento Gallery in Espanola, Galisteo Art Center in Galisteo, and is on permanent display at the Jemez Fine Art Gallery in Jemez Springs, New Mexico.
Jim also serves as an organizational leadership and management coach, consultant, and trainer to churches and church staffs.
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