LONDON.- S|2 presents Sweet Nothing, an exhibition of new work by Charming Baker including paintings and large-scale drawings. One of the most dynamic artists of his generation, Baker’s work is defined by a restless imagination, and ranges freely from the everyday to the deeply personal, encouraging the viewer to make their own connections and conclusions. “Nothing is only ever one thing. I don't see why I shouldn’t bend, shape or break an image to alter its original meaning, if only to entertain" says Baker.

While the meaning of his works might hover in ambiguity, Baker is an artist rooted in the rural Yorkshire of his childhood, and in the great tradition of British painting. This romantic vision - which references artists such as Constable and Hockney - is coupled with a raw energy that sees Baker cut, drill or even shoot the canvas with a rifle. Through this anarchic spirit, Baker challenges the preciousness of art and our calls into question our preconceived notions on beauty.

“It’s hard to say what makes a painting great. Its flatness and its depth, its ease and its complexity, a kind of preciousness that’s also kind of throwaway, a risk factor. Who gives a damn? Charming Baker’s paintings are great.” – Damien Hirst

The exhibition comprises over 20 new works, including paintings and drawings. Baker playfully describes the inspiration behind these works as “Schrödinger’s cat, Pavlov’s dog, bitter nostalgia, sex, joy, folly, loss, Don Quixote, tended gardens, gypsum foundations, concrete ideals, loose morals, nature, nurture, sweet nothing...”.

Baker’s diverse practice has seen him collaborate with the legendary designer Paul Smith for the V&A’s Britain Creates exhibition in 2012, and his work can be found in major private collections around the world. Sweet Nothing marks Baker’s eagerly awaited return to London following a critically acclaimed show in Los Angeles.

Born in Hampshire 1964, Charming Baker spent much of his early life travelling around the world following his father, a Commando in the British Army. At the age of 12, he and his family finally settled in Ripon, North Yorkshire. Baker left school at 16 and worked various manual jobs and in 1985, having gone back to college, he was accepted onto a course at the prestigious Central Saint Martin’s, where he later returned as a lecturer. After graduating, Baker worked for many years as a commercial artist as well as developing his personal work.

Solo exhibitions include the Truman Brewery London 2007, Redchurch Street Gallery London 2009, New York Studio Gallery NYC 2010, Mercer Street London 2011 and Milk Studios LA 2013. Baker has also exhibited with the Fine Art Society, collaborated with Sir Paul Smith for a sculpture entitled ‘Triumph in the Face of Absurdity’ which was displayed at the Victoria and Albert Museum and continues to be committed to creating work to raise money for many charities. His work is in numerous international collections.

Although Baker has produced sculptural pieces in a wide and varied choice of materials as well as many large-scale and detailed drawings, he remains primarily a painter with an interest in narrative and an understanding of the tradition of painting. Known to purposefully damage his work by drilling, cutting and even shooting it, Baker intentionally puts in to question the preciousness of art and the definition of its beauty, adding to the emotive charge of the work he produces. Indeed Edward Lucie-Smith has described Baker’s paintings as having, “something more, a kind of romantic melancholy that is very British. And sometimes the melancholy turns out to have sharp claws. The pictures make you sit up and examine your conscience.”

Charming Baker lives and works in London.