Lou Baker, Research and development of ideas to use a cage to frame my sculptures, 7.4.21

Visual supporting material for the research and development of Lou Baker’s proposal for a cage in The Street at Locksbrook campus, 7.7.21 The cage installed at Real Space, 29.3.21

Louise Bourgeois, Cell XXVI, 2003,

steel, fabric, aluminium, mirror and wood, 252.7 × 434.3 × 304.8 cm

An example of one of Louise Bourgeois’ Cells.

Her work has been a significant influence on my practice.

Francis Bacon Study after Velázquez's Portrait of Pope Innocent X, 1953, oil on canvas, 153cm x 118cm.

Bacon’s highly emotive painted ‘cage’ has also inspired me to build my steel cage

Lou Baker, Red is the colour of, detail, hand knitted wool, installed at B-Wing, Shepton Mallet Prison, September 2019

My proposal to rebuild my cage in The Street will enable me to continue researching the intriguing contrast between my soft, flexible knitting, here installed against the harsh steel grids of the prison.

Lou Baker & Scott Sandford, IN.BRS.2019.39 Shadow sacks over dark pool, felted hand knitting, meat hooks, chains, dark pool, installed at B-Wing, Shepton Mallet Prison, September 2019

Another example of my knitted sculptures installed in the prison.

Lou Baker, Body cage 1,

steel, November 2020, performance still Further research into ideas of the cage as both restraint and protection. This is my first ‘wearable’ cage, which I’ve used for performance.

Lou Baker, Body cage 2,

steel, November 2020, performance still A development of my first Body cage, this second iteration is also wearable, but it’s made out of 6mm rod and collapses into neat concentric circles. A portable cage?

My first ‘cage frame’ at Real Space, 11.3.21 This was the first ‘cage frame’ I built at Real Space, with one of the steel fencing panels and two temporary walls. I used it to trial some of my installation ideas. It’s potentially a walk through space and is ideal for vertical installations when there’s no ceiling!

Trial installations in my first ‘cage frame’ at Real Space #1: Red is the colour of..., 12.3.21 hand knitting, suspended with small s hooks

Trial installations in my first ‘cage frame’ at Real Space #2: Red is the colour of…, 24.3.21 3 hand knitted sculptures installed horizontally with steel wire and chain

Trial installations in my first ‘cage frame’ at Real Space #3: Shadow sacks, 11.3.21 3 hand knitted and felted sculptures installed vertically with meat hooks and chains

The cage, at Real Space, 29.3.21 This is the cage I would like to build in The Street.

It’s constructed using 6 steel fencing panels and 2 gate panels, secured with many strong cable ties.

H 345 x W 365 x D 360cm

Trial installations in the cage at Real Space #1: Parts of me, Steel bodies, 30.3.21 4 steel bodies suspended with steel wire

Trial installations in the cage at Real Space #2: Parts of me, steel bodies plus Body cocoons, details, 30.3.21

steel bodies suspended with steel wire with draped, hand knitted sculptures

Trial installations in the cage at Real Space #2: Parts of me, Steel bodies plus Body cocoons, 30.3.21

Trial installations in the cage at Real Space #3: Red is the colour of…, 31.3.21 3 hand knitted sculptures installed horizontally with steel wire and chains

Trial installations in the cage at Real Space #4: Shadow sacks, 31.3.21

7 hand knitted and felted sculptures suspended with meat hooks and chains

A scale drawing of the proposed cage.

Three sides are constructed from 2 steel fencing panels on their sides, secured to with multiple strong cable ties. The fourth side is made with 2 gate panels, the right way up. One gate panel is attached to the adjacent fence panel on the hinge so that it opens. The other gate panel doesn’t open. No one will be allowed in the cage except me and I’ll padlock the gate when I’m not there.

Lou Baker Main website: www.loubakerartist.co.uk MA Research website: www.loubakerartist.weebly.com/ Instagram, Facebook, Twitter @loubakerartist