John Baird’s visual language is distinctive; in strongly defined forms and boldly contrasted patterns, Baird constructs still life compositions that exist somewhere between reality and personal perception. Working across painting, collage and sculpture, Baird uses his works to explore how slippages between utilitarianism and decoration inhabit everyday objects. Infused with a lingering element of nostalgia, household objects and floral arrangements are elevated from the everyday and given new purpose.

In 'Black Jug', Baird constructs a moody still life of a jug and wine bottle seemingly in conversation, illuminated by a solitary pendant light. There is something distinctly modernist in the clarity of Baird’s forms - simple objects that, when brought together, take on a subtle anthropomorphic narrative. As in much of his practice, the scene is enriched through layered texture and tactility, achieved via collaged fabric elements embedded into the painted surface. By deliberately conflating foreground and background, Baird introduces a subtle visual instability, infusing the work with a dreamlike sense of surreality.

Baird has exhibited extensively in both solo and group exhibitions around Australia, and his work is held in major national collections including the National Gallery of Victoria, Castlemaine Art Gallery and Historical Museum, and Artbank. Baird was a featured artist in Amber Creswell Bell’s ‘Still Life: Contemporary Australian Artists’ and in 2026, Baird was selected as a finalist for the Wynne Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales. For collectors drawn to richly constructed still life compositions and significant contemporary Australian painting, Baird’s work offers a compelling and evolving practice.

John BAIRD (1954 - )
'Black Jug' 2026
mixed media on board
Image Size: 60 x 80 cm
Dimensions: 62 x 83 x 6 cm
Signed: JOHN BAiRD / WILLIAM MORRIS VASE / JUNE 26 verso

Condition:Excellent:

(c) John Baird / Copyright Agency