Image in header courtesy of Mia Cross
Here at the Cambridge Art Association we have incredible Staff that works hard to ensure the success of our Art Rental Program, education and professional programs, exhibition opportunities, fundraisers and SO much more. We want to take a moment to celebrate and re-introduce these individuals. Keep reading to learn more!
Deborah Baskin, Residential Sales Consultant | Deborah Baskin is a Boston-area artist and architect. For more than 20 years Deborah has led a small residential practice, doing old home renovations and new construction, in New England, Florida and Washington DC. In recent years Deborah has turned her attention to creating art in multiple media, including various forms of painting and wood sculpture. Deborah and her husband Rob live in Davis Square with their children and various pets.
If you are interested in contacting Deborah, you can email her at deborah@cambridgeart.org.
Q & A
Where are you from? I grew up in Lexington, MA. I have lived in various parts of the country over the years for school and work; but have been anchored back in Somerville for quite a while now.
What inspires you? Pretty much anything visual. When I’m in the city I try to absorb as much as I can from the huge variety of design elements around us; buildings, streets, sidewalks, urban parks and plazas, furniture, clothing, signage, cups and plates, light fixtures, artwork. When I’m in more rural areas I study the simpler building styles, natural forms, colors, and lines in nature.
Do you make art? I have been designing spaces and buildings for years, but have just recently begun to make my own art. I have always been drawn to the straightforward language of the modernist architects; Le Corbusier, Gropius, Charlotte Perriand; as well as the simplicity and beauty of traditional Japanese architecture. Paintings by the Abstractionist painters are also mesmerizing to me: Mark Rothko, Helen Frankenthaler, Agnes Martin, Mark Bradford, Yuki Katsura, Anne Truitt, Carmen Herrera. I feel like they are really getting to the core of something really simple and beautiful.
Pictured above is Deborah’s artwork
Is there another form of making/creating that you love? Favorite hobbies? I really like working with wood. Currently I am making collage pieces with painted papers on wood panels as well as wood totem sculptures. I like stacking, gluing and creating with anything that’s lying around.
How did you first get involved in the arts? I struggled for years over how to make the jump from architectural design work to individual pieces of art. I just didn’t know how to get started with a blank piece of paper and no boundaries or limitations. Then two years ago I took a class called “non-anxious collage” with Alexandra Sheldon, a collage artist from Cambridge whose work I love, which really helped me connect with art materials in a tangible, physical way and get started creating interesting things that I could make with my hands.
What is your favorite thing about working in the arts/with artists? I just love being around all of the art! And putting individual pieces together in a way that really enhances a work or living space. I also love to help artists get their work out of the studio and into the public realm for all to enjoy- and get paid for it!
What would you like to see more of in the Boston Arts scene? I am really excited about the onslaught of public art projects popping up in our urban nodes and centers. I’m looking forward to seeing more of it.
Do you own any art of your own? I have several pieces of my own work around in my house, but I am willing to part with any of them.
What is your favorite public art piece in Boston? The Make Way for Ducklings sculptures on The Common. I’m a Bostonian! After that I’d say it’s the light up oval swings on the Lawn on D St. downtown.
Make Way for Ducklings created by Nancy Schon
What is your favorite restaurant in Boston? Saltie Girl on Dartmouth St. Incredibly well- crafted cocktails and delightful seafood dishes.
What’s the coolest art-related happening that you’ve seen in Boston recently? Last year I fully immersed myself in the centennial celebration of the Bauhaus movement and was really intrigued with its direct connections to the Boston area. I went to a series of lectures at the MFA, and the Fogg had an amazing exhibit that included several primary sources.
What’s the coolest art-related happening is coming up that you’re excited about? I’m really looking forward to the opening of the new Mass Art Museum later this month. I love how it’s going to always be free!