Today we’d like to introduce you to Berkley Baum.
Berkley, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
Hmm, well… I have to say it started with my obsession with Surfer Magazine as a kid. I used to rip out pages and pages and tape them to walls just because I liked the aesthetic on the page. I didn’t even really get into surfing myself. It was more the design of Surfer Magazine that hooked my attention. At the time, it didn’t even cross my mind that I loved the specifics of design yet, I more so just thought it looked cool. But now looking back, I realized how much of an impact it had on my career choice.
I grew up in a very small town on the coast of North Carolina called the Outer Banks. I never in my wildest dreams thought I would be living in South California, immersed in the lifestyle and culture that I looked up to in these magazines that I idolized… but here I am. It sorta feels like fate I guess. As I grew up, I started getting more and more into editorials like Monster Children, What Youth, Transworld, etc. It hit me, finally, that although I wasn’t necessarily into the sports that these magazines represented, I was still extremely captivated by the aesthetic. I was drawn to look at the ads and the stories written of these sports although I didn’t even participate in them. And that is what made me realize that design is a very powerful thing that can impact a wide range of people. And I had to get my hands in it.
I graduated from Virginia Tech in May of 2017 with a Bachelors of Fine Arts Degree with a focus in Graphic Design. It was at school that I really got to experiment and figure out my own style and way of doing things. After school, I was fortunate enough to land my first job working for To The Stars, Inc. in Encinitas. To The Stars is what got me out of my East Coast comfort zone to where I am now, and I really enjoy what I do every day. It’s a great place to work.
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I work full time as a graphic designer for To The Stars, Inc. currently, but I also like to stay as creative as possible when I’m outside of work as well. I dabble in a little bit of everything really. Digital collages to hand-drawing to motion videos, logo design, illustration, etc. I think it’s really important to keep yourself creative outside your 9-5 job in order to stay clear of creative ruts.
I’m really into using techniques that I’m not so comfortable with or that I haven’t mastered fully yet and I like to push those things to see what I can make from the unfamiliar. It’s easy to do the same thing every day or push around some type in a grid a different way each day, but it’s taking those things further than you think that really makes it interesting and powerful and different. Even sometimes it’s the mistakes and accidental failures that can be used and turned into some really awesome artwork.
In my personal work, I really hope people can see that I am continuously experimenting with new ideas and techniques and learning through my own process. I hope that it might inspire others to push their own boundaries and to learn something new as well.
In your view, what is the biggest issue artists have to deal with?
Authenticity. It’s easy to replicate what’s been done before because we have so much access to other artists work and its easier to just duplicate something similar. It’s harder and takes more work to make something original. Stepping outside the comfort zone and doing something different than what has already been done is where good work is made.
Also, I think stepping outside the computer screen is important too. There’s something about making with your hands that makes it feel more personal.
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
You can view my portfolio is online at berkleybaum.com, but I do not currently sell anything.
Contact Info:
- Website: berkleybaum.com
- Email: berkbaum@vt.edu
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/berkley_baum/
Image Credit:
Photos of shirts on model taken by Julian Martin
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