Fred Baier

furniture maker
b. 1949, East Riding of Yorkshire

Brief biography

Fred Baier was born in 1949 in Yorkshire. From 1968 to 1972 he studied furniture at Birmingham College of Art. He then went on to the Royal College of Art for three years from 1972-1975. During his years at college he aimed to bring woodworking and art together to create a piece that was both functional and a piece of art. Baier achieved considerable success in the 1970s with the support of the Crafts Council and related commissioning opportunities. In the 1980s, he moved to the USA and began to use computers and 3D-modelling programmes such as CAD to design his pieces. He continued to employ computer software until the 1990s, when he felt that he has used computing at every stage of design. His furniture has been exhibited internationally including shows in Australia, Germany, Japan, Spain, and USA. Not only has he been a consultant to many organizations including the Crafts Council, but throughout his career, Baier has also been a staff lecturer at the Royal College of Art, Brighton University, and Rochester Institute of Technology NY.

Education & training

Brunel University, 1995
Guildhall University, CAD Research project, 1994-1995
Royal College of Art, 1972-1975
Diploma Art and Design, Birmingham College of Art, 1968-1972

Teaching

Lecturer Brighton University, 1977-1980
Lecturer Royal College of Art
Lecturer Rochester Institute of Technology NY

Exhibitions

Furniture Today - Its Design & Craft, Crafts Council, London, 1995
Visions of Craft 1972-1993, Crafts Council, London, 1993
A Collection in the Making, Crafts Council, London, 1985
A Closer Look at Wood, Crafts Council, London, 1983
Carousel, Crafts Council, London, 1978
Exhibition: The Maker's Eye

Public collections

Shipley Art Gallery
Portsmouth City Museum
Cyfarthfa Castle Museum
Carnegie Museum of Art, USA
Victoria & Albert Museum
Birmingham Museum and Art Gallery

Further information