Robert Baring's work explores the nocturnal urban world, depicting the nightlife, the beauty, the isolation, and sometimes the alienation present in that world. Born in Oklahoma, Baring came to Texas at the age of six with his family and turned to photography as a hobby briefly while in college. After a lengthy hiatus, he returned to photography, developed his craft, and has exhibited locally in Austin.
As in other growing urban centers, the downtown Austin area has developed rapidly, and it was there that Baring’s early projects mostly found their home. Working in both analog and digital, he has sought to expand street photography's potential as fine art. While his photos have strong formal qualities – both geometric and graphic along with strong contrast - they often also include strong architectural elements which provide context to the urban setting. On the level of interpretation, Baring's images infer a subsurface of drama and perhaps struggle.
