Laura Baird

Laura Baird is a Vancouver artist who has been living in New York City since 1980. Shortly after settling into New York, Baird began work on the stitched carpet that is the centerpiece of this exhibition. The five by seven foot carpet is a stitched rendering of an aerial photograph taken at the site of the Jonestown mass suicide in November 1978. Baird will be present in the gallery during the exhibition, working on the carpet. In addition, a second work entitled *Jonestown Dead* will be displayed. The gallery will be black, with 750 watt spotlights on the work in progress and the *Jonestown Dead* installation.

 In an age when everyone complains about the fact that tragedies in our society simply become “media” events that are quickly forgotten, Laura Baird is reclaiming the human dimension of the Jonestown tragedy, and seeing to it that the nine hundred and twelve dead are not part of another isolated event from our recent history.

The reception on November 18th, is on the 10th anniversary of the Jonestown mass suicide. 


Essay: “Laura Baird: Jonestown Carpet – Jonestown Dead,” Shaun Caley

A closeup of an embroidered carpet, showing the Jonestown massacre. The detail shown includes bodies on the grass and under the shade of the large building shown. 

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A 5 foot by 7 foot carpet on a wall. The carpet shows an aerial shot of the 1978 Jonestown tragedy, and has a decorative border with stylized images of airplanes, cables, toys, soldiers, and more.

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A detailed image of an embroidered carpet, with threads hanging from it. The carpet is based on a bird's-eye image of the Jonestown massacre, and this closeup shows a section with bodies on the grass. 

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Jonestown Carpet Jonestown Dead

The present book was published on the occasion of Laura Baird's exhibition "Jonestown Carpet Jonestown Dead" at the Contemporary Art Gallery on November 1 to 26, 1988. Includes text from Laura Baird and Shaun Caley.

Laura Baird

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