Evan Baden

(born 1985, resides in St. Paul, Minnesota)

Lila with Nintendo DS,2007

Nick with Chrysler, 2006

Cory with Yukon, 2007

Evan Baden’s portraits depict solitary figures from the waist up, bathed in a soft light and surrounded by shadows in a manner that recalls Vermeer’s paintings. In Baden’s photographs, however, the glow radiates from the screens of electronic devices, such as iPods, cell phones, and computers, rather than streaming in from a nearby window. The artist captures his subjects during ostensibly private moments and their faces are uniformly expressionless as if mesmerized. We are currently in the midst of a notable generational shift, he observes: the kids growing up now have never known a world in which they are not constantly plugged in to information networks, even while on the move. Though Baden’s portraits have a tranquil beauty about them, he is more interested in the implications of these new social conditions. “These devices grace us with the ability to instantly connect to other,” he states, “and at the same time they isolate us from those with whom we are connected. They allow for great freedom, yet so often we are chained to them.”

Baden completed a BFA at the College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, Minnesota in 2007. His photographs have been exhibited at the Minnesota Museum of American Art, St. Paul; and Photography Center Northwest, Seattle; Minnesota Center for Photography, Minneapolis; as well as other venues. His work is held in the collection of the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis.