Tom Baril

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Wikipedia

Tom Baril
Born1952 (age 73–74)
Putnam, Connecticut, U.S.
EducationSchool of Visual Arts (BFA, 1980)
Known forPhotography
Websitetombaril.net

Tom Baril (born 1952)[1] is an American photographer known for his photographs of flowers, landscapes, and architecture.[2][3] Based in New York, he creates work characterized by textural detail and soft focus, often using a handmade pinhole camera.[3]

He worked for a decade as Robert Mapplethorpe's printer, developing technical printing skills, before establishing himself as an independent artist.[4][5]

Early life and education

Baril was born in Putnam, Connecticut[1] and earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts in photography from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1980.[2][3]

Career

In 1979, while still a student at the School of Visual Arts, Baril turned to printing to support his photography career and was hired as Robert Mapplethorpe's printer.[4][6] The working relationship lasted 10 years and was characterized by significant tension.[4] Mapplethorpe confined Baril to the darkroom and communicated with him through third parties.[4] Despite the difficult working conditions and often delayed payment, Baril continued the professional relationship.[7] During this period, Baril's own photography was overshadowed by Mapplethorpe's, and he essentially paused his career.[8]

Baril's technical skill was widely recognized,[citation needed] and Mapplethorpe was praised for the quality of the printing.[5] Mapplethorpe's aesthetic demands were specific: he wanted "everything to look beautiful", whether flowers, faces, or figure studies.[4] Baril and Mapplethorpe connected over their shared appreciation of classical tradition.[6]

After leaving Mapplethorpe's employ, Baril concentrated on his own photography,[3] but continued to print in Mapplethorpe's original darkroom, later part of the Mapplethorpe Foundation.[6]

Gallerist David Fahey introduced 4AD owner Ivo Watts-Russell to Baril's work,[6] which led to 4AD's publishing Baril's first monograph in 1997. The initial printing of 2,500 copies sold out immediately,[9] and instantly boosted Baril's career.[10] Despite its popularity, the book was not financially successful due to its expensive hand-binding and specialized printing process.[11]

In 1998, Baril was described as "one of the hottest contemporary fine-art photographers".[6]

Work

Baril primarily photographs three subjects: flowers, landscapes, and architecture,[2][3][12] including such industrial subjects as the Brooklyn Bridge,[13] the Verrazzano–Narrows Bridge,[14] and steel mills.[15] His work has been described as "quietly contemplative" in contrast to Mapplethorpe's "loudly transgressive" images.[8]

In 1994, Baril began working with pinhole photography, using a 4×5 view camera and Polaroid Type 55 film,[6] which creates both a print and a reusable negative.[16]

Baril's printing technique uses selenium toner, followed by a tea bath, to give the prints warmer, deeper tones.[6][8][16] He specifically uses Lipton tea.[16] He often leaves the raw marks from Polaroid separation around the edges of his prints.[8][16] Baril also uses solarization, exposing film to light while still developing.[16] This process creates bubbles and streaks that he uses to advantage, giving his prints "an occasional painterliness".[16]

Collections

Baril's work is held in the following public collections:

Publications

  • Tom Baril (1997). 4AD. ISBN 978-0-9657450-0-0.[9]
  • Botanica (2000). Arena Editions. ISBN 978-1-892041-20-3.[2]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 "Tom Baril". Winston Wachter.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Contributors". Western American Literature. 36 (2). University of Nebraska Press: 202–203. Summer 2001. doi:10.1353/wal.2001.0029. JSTOR 43025026.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 Aston 2013, p. 484.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 Morrisroe 1997, p. 239.
  5. 1 2 Morrisroe 1997, p. 289.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Hart, Russell (January–February 1998). "Tom Baril: Fine-Art Photography's Phenom Brings Consummate Craft to Classical Tradition". American Photo. pp. 94–96.
  7. ↑ Morrisroe 1997, pp. 250, 289.
  8. 1 2 3 4 Loke, Margarett (November 28, 1997). "Photography Review: From a Printer to an Artist on His Own". The New York Times. p. E42.
  9. 1 2 Aston 2013, pp. 528–529.
  10. ↑ Aston 2013, pp. 530.
  11. ↑ Aston 2013, p. 529.
  12. ↑ Hart, Russell (May–June 1998). "Tom Baril, Artist". American Photo. p. 84.
  13. ↑ Haw, Richard (2008). Art of the Brooklyn Bridge: A Visual History. New York, NY: Routledge. p. 247. ISBN 978-0-415-95386-3.
  14. ↑ Hagen, Charles (January 19, 1996). "Art in Review: Tom Baril and Rocky Schenck". The New York Times. p. C18.
  15. ↑ Bossen, Howard; Freedman, Eric; Mianecki, Julie (March 2013). "Hot Metal, Cold Reality: Photographers' Access to Steel Mills". Visual Communication Quarterly. 20: 4–19. doi:10.1080/15551393.2013.765775.
  16. 1 2 3 4 5 6 McQuaid, Cate (August 7, 1997). "Baril's Bold Images Are No Wallflowers". The Boston Globe. pp. E1, E6. Retrieved September 15, 2025 – via Newspapers.com.
  17. ↑ "Flora: Collection Highlights". David Winton Bell Gallery. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  18. ↑ "Taughannock Falls". Benton Museum of Art. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  19. ↑ "Le goût de la photographie dans la collection Jérôme Prochiantz". Bibliothèque nationale de France. October 22, 2024. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  20. ↑ "Olympia Diner". Brooklyn Museum. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  21. ↑ "In Focus: Photographing Plants". Delaware Art Museum. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  22. ↑ "Factory". Harvard Art Museums. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  23. ↑ "Dead Poppies". Harvard Art Museums. Retrieved August 28, 2025.
  24. ↑ "Cobaea Pods". Philadelphia Museum of Art. Retrieved August 28, 2025.

Works cited