Bio

Caroline Bakay is in her senior year of undergraduate school at Kutztown University, Pennsylvania. Caroline makes 2D visual art, primarily working in painting. She depicts the body in different ways and lightings to examine life in the form of the figure as well as exploring mundane aspects of daily life. Her paintings are well developed and detail oriented. Caroline is currently based in Kutztown, Pennsylvania.  

Statement

I create paintings exploring the female presenting body, embracing both contemporary abstract elements and realism. With the use of smooth, blended oil paint on canvas, I render these individuals’ bodies, with an emphasis on light in different surroundings, including water and isolation. Lighting has always been a huge influence in my decisions regarding compositions and subjects. Light changes how people perceive everything they see and I find this very impactful. These bodies are almost always depicted partially nude with the clothing being used as a compositional tool. This isolation of the figure emphasizes the body and poses questions about where this person is and what they are doing in these positions. I aim to depict women as they choose to be represented. I ask people I know closely for images they’ve already taken, for the use of exchanging between sexual partners. This gives an authentic representation of how young adults pose themselves to feel attractive and enticing, which is what I aim to depict. Perhaps having the viewer relate to taking images of themselves in the solitude of their home, with someone in mind. I find the most appealing part of working with the body for me is recreating the skin. I try to develop the paint to mimic the specific translucent, supple texture. Skin is very complex, there are rolls, shines, soft shadows, harsh shadows, intricate contours, ect, my aim is to capture all of these intricacies. Using paint as opposed to other mediums, makes me feel more connected and attached to the work. The process of mark making, mixing paint and blending the paint makes the work more lively in it’s process.

@carriebakayart

What initially compelled you to create your work?

I’ve always been intrigued with artistic practices from an early age. My brain is extremely visual and I tend to naturally look at the world in everyday scenarios with a lot of appreciation for their beauty. I think as I've grown, art making has been something I’ve felt connected to in this way. My wanting to add to the beauty I see in everyday life is definitely a main motivator for my artist practice. Once I started painting, it was undeniable to me that I loved painting as an art medium above all others. I wanted to explore how to paint, how to move the paint, how to mix paint--overall, I wanted to know paint. The subjects matter less to me than the activity and the connection to the material of the work.

What main topic does your artwork address and why?

My paintings cover many different topics including femininity, interpersonal relationships, and sentimental moments, but as a collective I think my aim is to emphasize the beauty in a variety of daily moments and feelings. Spending time with a close friend, feeling the water on your skin, or reliving a childhood memory, all feel like unspoken, unimportant positive feelings that I’d like to document.

In your artistic journey, what has been the most challenging point thus far?

I find that I have an easy connection to art making in itself, but I struggle a great deal with subject and meaning. Painting for me has always been about exploring painting in itself. With this, finding subjects I enjoy, with meanings I find important, is a constant conflict within my creative process. This can be extremely discouraging when all I want to do is paint, yet I’m not always sure of what to paint that I can be conceptually happy with as an end product.

What do you do when you find yourself at a creative block?

Take a break. I tend to look around more at things more artistically and aesthetically when my artistic brain isn’t entirely engaged with the project I’m intensely working on. Walking home seems more beautiful and the world feels more visually engaging when I strip myself of my usual artistic outlet. This leads me to be constantly thinking of new ideas by default and almost looking at my surroundings with rose colored glasses. Along with this, talking to those around me. I have the privilege of having very talented artistic minds around me often. Hearing their current projects and thoughts is extremely inspiring and gets me excited to work on new projects.