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"Drafting Table Musings" on Display at GPS
Beloved art teacher Mary Baker Carrithers shares her works and inspirations.
Mary Baker Carrithers, former McCallie and Girls Preparatory School art teacher for more than 40 years, has graciously loaned her recently completed trompe l’oeil paintings, sculpture, and art pieces for display in GPS’s art gallery in Frierson Theatre lobby through September.
Titled “Drafting Table Musings,” Carrithers’ recent work is united by imagined musings or daydreams of an architect at work at his or her drafting table. The seeds of inspiration for her unique style were planted when she was on family trips to Europe.
Once, while touring as a young child outside of Rome, Carrithers slipped away from her group to look out a window at a beautiful landscape. To her surprise, the window was merely a painting. “That was a transformational moment, though I did not realize it at the time,” she says. Fast forward a few years, and Carrithers encountered 17th-century Dutch paintings and marveled at the detailed depictions of everyday objects such as water drops, shells, and flowers.
Carrithers explains her method of art as being a realist but also purposefully inconsistent in her realism. “I purposefully create shadows only where I need to set off an important element, thus departing from true realism at times in order to make a point or foster a mood.”
At first glance, one might observe a paintbrush that appears to have been adhesed to the canvass, only to find it is painted. Other times a brush is actually attached alongside torn paper bags and bits of trash. Or a piece of jewelry adds to the interest of the artwork. “The creation of objects that mimic three-dimensional form and yet are painted on flat surfaces has always struck me as magical,” Carrithers says, “and that is part of what I have attempted in this series.”
GPS Fine Arts Department Chair Meg Persinger Brock ’79 taught alongside Carrithers and is thrilled to see her friend and former colleague’s new work displayed for current students to enjoy. “When Mary was here, she raised the bar for the art department at GPS,” Brock says. Brock worked with Carrithers to have the artist’s voice recordings explain each piece to the viewer through a QR code that can be accessed through the camera app on a smartphone, creating a richer experience for everyone who views the gallery.
At first glance, one might observe a paintbrush that appears to have been adhesed to the canvass, only to find it is painted. Other times a brush is actually attached alongside torn paper bags and bits of trash. Or a piece of jewelry adds to the interest of the artwork. “The creation of objects that mimic three-dimensional form and yet are painted on flat surfaces has always struck me as magical,” Carrithers says, “and that is part of what I have attempted in this series.”
GPS Fine Arts Department Chair Meg Persinger Brock ’79 taught alongside Carrithers and is thrilled to see her friend and former colleague’s new work displayed for current students to enjoy. “When Mary was here, she raised the bar for the art department at GPS,” Brock says. Brock worked with Carrithers to have the artist’s voice recordings explain each piece to the viewer through a QR code that can be accessed through the camera app on a smartphone, creating a richer experience for everyone who views the gallery.
“I am pleased to show my work at GPS, which has always displayed great respect for and encouraged students to participate in the arts,” Carrithers says. “I am hoping viewers will have their minds stimulated by these paintings while finding many interesting things to explore.”
Born in New York to artistic parents (mother was a vocalist and father was a professional Irish tenor and music faculty member at Bennington College), Carrithers displayed strong talents in both voice and art. Accepted at the Swiss Opera Company in Lugano (Switzerland), she ultimately chose to pursue painting at Bennington College in Vermont and in Florence, Italy, and later earned a master’s degree from the City University of New York. She has also received a certificate in drawing from Academia di Belle Arti di Firenze (Florence, Italy) and additional training from the Pratt Institute (New York City), Penland School of Crafts (North Carolina), and the Art Institute of Chicago.
The public is welcome to view “Drafting Table Musings” during school hours after signing in at the front desk.
