Richard Baker’s wonderful still life paintings are both disarming and slightly improbable. Their collection of objects is familiar and jarring (why is a pickle jar near a paintbrush?). For a traditional art form—still lives have been a staple of Western art for centuries—they seem almost radical. We’re just not expecting to see things we know arranged like this, and the effect is magnified by the distorted perspective. A still life is a way to incorporate an artist’s interests: we see paperback books and blue photographs, martini glasses and playing cards. It’s also a way to contrast textures whether a glazed donut or a ceramic vase.

To add another dimension these paintings are also landscapes. Instead of domestic interiors, the traditional reassuring still-life setting we’re looking out of windows or onto a sand dune. I love these paintings, if I could have anything in my apartment I would have the cocktail accoutrements in Tray Gray. Richard has a show of his paintings from the 80s and 90s at Tibor de Nagy on Rivington Street. It’s a terrific introduction to those new to his work. In that period the paintings are small and the surfaces are a little more heavily worked, and show an influence of the great Albert York. Here are some images from that show and some additional favorites from over the years.

Portfolio is a regular series featuring work by favorite artists.