Phillip T. Baker, May Artist of the Month

This May, Gallery on Main's Artist of the Month series features “Rock N’ Roll” paintings by New Jersey-based artist Phillip T. Baker. His work will be on view, and available for purchase, from May 1 through 31, 2022.

Meet the artist at a free opening reception on Saturday, May 7, from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.

Phillip Baker, who started painting at a young age, says, “I would paint anything I could get my hands on. Overnight I went from painting Bozo the Clown to painting Alice Cooper, after seeing him on Wolfman Jack’s Midnight Special.

Music and art have inspired him his whole life. As he got older and started attending concerts, says Baker, “huge banners were permitted at concert venues, and I often painted a bed-sheet banner of the bands preforming that evening. To whomever is responsible for outlawing banners at concerts, I sincerely thank you! This is how my career of painting canvas was started.”

Baker proudly notes that the name “Rock N’ Roll Painter” was bestowed on him by Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler. He first met Tyler in the 1980s, when he painted a 42-by-60-inch portrait of the musician the gained him entrance to Tyler’s private birthday bash in Manhattan, where he presented it to the artist. Baker recalls, “The painting was well received by Steven Tyler as I introduced myself. I went on to see him on numerous occasions unexpectedly in New York City and he would say ‘Hey, Rock N’ Roll Painter! How the hell are you!?’ I was a little bothered that he didn’t address me by my name after I gave him my business card and had chatted with him when we ran into each other. (But) after several encounters and being impressed with my work, he sent me up to Boston to exhibit my art at Aerosmith’s nightclub, Mama Kins.”