John Baird
Born 1954, Melbourne, Australia
Lives & Works – Melbourne (Mount Martha, Boonwurrung)
Working across painting, collage and sculpture, John Baird has developed a unique aesthetic that explores how slippages between utilitarianism and decoration inhabit everyday objects. With a lingering aura of nostalgia, the sail boat, the dressing table or the floral arrangement are elevated from the commonplace. By consciously conflating foreground and background, Baird forges a surreality that adds a dream-like dimension to his constructed spaces, enkindling our memories and inspiring our imaginations.
Baird has participated in numerous solo and group shows around Australia, and his work is held in major national collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum, Artbank and Bell Potter Group, as well as international and national corporate and private collections.
In 2025, Baird will present a major retrospective exhibition at the Mornington Peninsula Regional Gallery.
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John Baird
Port Jackson, Still Lifes and Otherwise 6 February - 1 March 2025John Baird’s latest exhibition at Arthouse comprises two-thirds seascapes and one-third still life. Both are familiar subjects, though each has been given a dramatic twist. The colours are more intense,...Read more -
30 Years of Arthouse Gallery — Summer Edition
7 December 2024 - 1 March 2025Over the past three decades, Arthouse Gallery has distinguished itself as one of Australia's leading contemporary art galleries. Currently representing over forty artists, the gallery celebrates its 30th anniversary this...Read more -
John Baird
Harbour Swimmers 1 - 24 February 2024The visual symphony of colour, memory and imagination are the cornerstones of John Baird’s new exhibition ‘Harbour Swimmers’. Floating in glorious nostalgia and beauty, Baird’s paintings depicting Sydney Harbour and...Read more -
Arthouse Group Show
Summer – Part 1 9 - 27 January 2024Arthouse Gallery is delighted to begin 2024 with 'Summer' featuring a selection of new and exciting works from our stable of artists. This coming year features solo shows by newly–represented,...Read more
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Arthouse Group Show
Present Tense 15 June - 1 July 2023Read more -
Group Show
Paper 4 May - 10 June 2023'Paper & Clay' brings together the work of twenty-nine Australian artists traversing the timeless materiality of two enduring artforms. Unencumbered by dense conceptual wilderness, the works in this show posit...Read more -
John Baird
Harbour and Interior Views 14 December 2022 - 28 January 2023Working across painting, collage and sculpture, John Baird has developed a singular aesthetic that explores slippages between utilitarianism and decoration, memory and imagination. With a note of nostalgia, the sailboat,...Read more -
John Baird
Regatta 22 March - 21 April 2018Working across painting, collage and sculpture, John Baird has developed a unique aesthetic that explores how slippages between utilitarianism and decoration inhabit everyday objects. With a lingering aura of nostalgia,...Read more
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John Baird
Running & Windward 2 - 18 February 2017Working across painting, collage and sculpture, John Baird has developed a unique flattened aesthetic that explores how slippages between utilitarianism and decoration embed everyday objects. Scouring demolition sites for material...Read more -
John Baird
Horizon 17 April - 2 May 2015John Baird has developed a bold, flattened aesthetic to examine the interior landscape of domestic life and the slippage between utilitarianism and decoration. Scouring demolition sites for material remnants of...Read more
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John BairdCasserole, 2025acrylic, wallpaper and shellac on board120 x 120 cm, 123 x 123 cm (framed)$9,900
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John BairdHome jug, 2025acrylic, wallpaper and shellac on board120 x 120 cm, 123 x 123 cm (framed)$9,900
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John BairdRace Mark, 2025acrylic and shellac on board
120 x 120 cm, 123 x 123 cm (framed)$9,900 -
John BairdGreen jug, 2025acrylic, wallpaper and shellac on board100 x 100 cm, 103 x 103 cm (framed)$8,900
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John BairdFloral Arabesque, 2023ink on paper76 x 56 cm, 86 x 66 cm (framed)$3,000 (unframed)
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John BairdNight Bird, 2023ink on paper76 x 56 cm, 86 x 66 cm (framed)$3,000 (unframed)
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John BairdWall Lamp, 2023ink on paper76 x 56 cm, 86 x 66 cm (framed)$3,000 (unframed)
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John BairdSmall Harbour VI, 2023acrylic and shellac on board20 x 25 cm$2,400
