ARTIST STATEMENT
My large scale drawings use depictions of the human figure to address the influence of society and electronic media on personal versus public identity. The messages that the media communicates have affected my opinion of myself as well as my thoughts on life, sex, and body image. I am also influenced in how I interact with strangers and casual acquaintances, as well as those that I have personal relationships with. The lengths that we go through to look a certain way as defined by the mass media have so much to do with our social interactions that I wanted to make a body of work that dealt with this subject. Placing near life-size figures on simple backgrounds allows me to confront the viewer with an image that is as much about the subject's personality as it is the viewer's.
There is a narrative that runs through each work, some more obvious than others, and viewers are challenged to pay attention to slight nuances in order to uncover meaning. The body of work is presented as a series of multiple images; groups of panels make up each piece. Each panel in a piece shows one side of a person's identity, whether it is a protected, private identity or a public presentation. Thus, the viewer is often seeing multiple sides to the subject's personality at the same time - what that person conveys to others versus how we, as society, perceive who they. The artwork strives to confront the viewer with his or her own feelings on these issues. Everyone will react to a certain type of person in a different way, depending on their personal belief system and what they have grown up feeling comfortable (or uncomfortable) with. Therefore, there may be a piece in my series where one viewer will see a huge difference between the dual personas presented in a diptych, while a different viewer may see the two side-by-side images as nearly identical. Ideally, I would like for each viewer to bring his or her life experience to each piece of my art and get as much, or as little, from it as those experiences dictate.
ABOUT
Rachel currently lives in Los Osos, a small town near San Luis Obispo, and is making art full time as well as managing a small business making hand-done signage (www.dandcstudio.com). Recently, she taught fine art at Canyon Crest Academy high school in North County San Diego. She received her BFA degree from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina with a concentration in Studio Art/Drawing, and then went on to study fine art in Florence, Italy. Most recently, Rachel completed her Masters in Fine Art (Drawing) at the Laguna College of Art + Design, and is has taught there as well. She has exhibited in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles galleries, and has art in various personal collections, as well as at the Preston College of USC (South Carolina).
CURRICULUM VITAE
education
Laguna College of Art + Design 2010-2012
MFA in Drawing
Pt. Loma Nazarene University 2003-2004
Secondary Teacher Credential Program
Lorenzo de'Medici School of Art Spring 2003
Florence, Italy
University of South Carolina 1995-1999
BFA (studio art/drawing); magna cum laude with honors from the SC Honors College
solo shows
2014
Said Space gallery; solo show and "Artist Series No. 1" figurative drawing workshop and instructional sessions; Encinitas, CA
juried competitions
2014/2015
Cannon Art Gallery juried biennial; jurors: Tina Yapelli of SDSU and John D. Spiak of Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana; Carlsbad, CA
2014
Target Gallery at The Torpedo Factory; "Identification"; Alexandria, VA
2013
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art; "Compass: Navigating the Journey to Self-Identity" group show; Santa Ana, CA
Linus Gallery; "It's Only Natural" Juried Group Show; Pasadena, CA
Viridian Artists; 24th Annual International Juried Exhibition "Director's Selection"; Juried by Elisabeth Sussman, Curator of the Whitney Museum, NYC; NYC
2012
San Diego Art Institute; Regional show; San Diego, CA
Gallery 533; "The Realist Perspective", Los Angeles, CA
2011
Sylvia White Gallery; Annual Summer Juried Group Show; Ventura, CA
Gallery 793; Juried Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
Katharine Story Boutique; "Erotica" Juried Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
2008
Gallery 680; "Threesome" 3-man Show; San Diego, CA
2002
Poway Center for the Arts; "Impact 2002:Women's Caucus for the Arts"; Poway,CA
101 Artists' Colony; 1st Anniversary Juried Group Show; Encinitas, CA
Encinitas City Hall; 2-man Show; Encinitas, CA
The Art of Dessert; collaboration of restaurants and artists - by invitation;
Encinitas, CA
2000
101 Artists' Colony; 3-man Show; Encinitas, CA
art exhibits
2015
"Open Studio" Art Show at The Artist Odyssey collective studios; Encinitas, CA
2013
Open Arts Collective; "Do Art Daily" group show; San Diego, CA
LCAD Faculty Art Show; Laguna Beach, CA
2012
Arena 1 Gallery; MFA Thesis Show; Santa Monica,CA
Laguna Art Museum; MFA Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
LCAD Campus Gallery; MFA Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
2011
Arts Alive Banner Artist for DEMA Mainstreet Project; Encinitas, CA
Irvine Fine Arts Center; MFA Faculty + Student Show; Irvine, CA
2010
Artwalk; booth artist; San Deigo, CA
2009
Rhino Art Gallery; District Arts Teacher Show; Encinitas, CA
One World Collective Group Show; Encinitas, CA
2008
ArtnSoul Gallery and Store; Group show; Encinitas, CA
2005-2007
Del Mar Fair Art Exhibitor
2003
Lorenzo de'Medici Group Show; Florence, Italy
2002
Arts Alive Banner Artist for DEMA Mainstreet Project; Encinitas, CA
2000
Encinitas Annual Poinsettia Street Festival; representing 101 Artists' Colony
1999
Lewis + Clark Gallery; BFA Honors Thesis solo art show; Columbia, SC
artist lectures/presentations
2014
San Diego Art Guild; artist lecture and demonstration/instructional fiure workshop
Said Space gallery; solo show and "Artist Series No. 1" figurative drawing workshop and instructional sessions; Encinitas, CA
collections
Preston College - Univ. of South Carolina
Mr. and Mrs. Les Traub - Los Angeles, CA
teaching credential
SB 2042 single subject (middle/high school) in both Studio Art and Biology
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Laguna College of Art + Design
Fundamentals of Drawing I - adjunct faculty Fall 2012, 2013
Figure Block 2 - Graduate Teaching Assistant Spring 2012
Fundamentals of Drawing I - Graduate Teaching Asst Fall 2011
Canyon Crest Academy 2006 - 2015
High school fine art teacher (beg/adv drawing, sculpture, figure drawing, digital imaging)
Sun Valley Charter High School 2004-2006
High school fine art teacher (drawing,painting, sculpture, art history)
My large scale drawings use depictions of the human figure to address the influence of society and electronic media on personal versus public identity. The messages that the media communicates have affected my opinion of myself as well as my thoughts on life, sex, and body image. I am also influenced in how I interact with strangers and casual acquaintances, as well as those that I have personal relationships with. The lengths that we go through to look a certain way as defined by the mass media have so much to do with our social interactions that I wanted to make a body of work that dealt with this subject. Placing near life-size figures on simple backgrounds allows me to confront the viewer with an image that is as much about the subject's personality as it is the viewer's.
There is a narrative that runs through each work, some more obvious than others, and viewers are challenged to pay attention to slight nuances in order to uncover meaning. The body of work is presented as a series of multiple images; groups of panels make up each piece. Each panel in a piece shows one side of a person's identity, whether it is a protected, private identity or a public presentation. Thus, the viewer is often seeing multiple sides to the subject's personality at the same time - what that person conveys to others versus how we, as society, perceive who they. The artwork strives to confront the viewer with his or her own feelings on these issues. Everyone will react to a certain type of person in a different way, depending on their personal belief system and what they have grown up feeling comfortable (or uncomfortable) with. Therefore, there may be a piece in my series where one viewer will see a huge difference between the dual personas presented in a diptych, while a different viewer may see the two side-by-side images as nearly identical. Ideally, I would like for each viewer to bring his or her life experience to each piece of my art and get as much, or as little, from it as those experiences dictate.
ABOUT
Rachel currently lives in Los Osos, a small town near San Luis Obispo, and is making art full time as well as managing a small business making hand-done signage (www.dandcstudio.com). Recently, she taught fine art at Canyon Crest Academy high school in North County San Diego. She received her BFA degree from the Honors College at the University of South Carolina with a concentration in Studio Art/Drawing, and then went on to study fine art in Florence, Italy. Most recently, Rachel completed her Masters in Fine Art (Drawing) at the Laguna College of Art + Design, and is has taught there as well. She has exhibited in San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles galleries, and has art in various personal collections, as well as at the Preston College of USC (South Carolina).
CURRICULUM VITAE
education
Laguna College of Art + Design 2010-2012
MFA in Drawing
Pt. Loma Nazarene University 2003-2004
Secondary Teacher Credential Program
Lorenzo de'Medici School of Art Spring 2003
Florence, Italy
University of South Carolina 1995-1999
BFA (studio art/drawing); magna cum laude with honors from the SC Honors College
solo shows
2014
Said Space gallery; solo show and "Artist Series No. 1" figurative drawing workshop and instructional sessions; Encinitas, CA
juried competitions
2014/2015
Cannon Art Gallery juried biennial; jurors: Tina Yapelli of SDSU and John D. Spiak of Grand Central Art Center in Santa Ana; Carlsbad, CA
2014
Target Gallery at The Torpedo Factory; "Identification"; Alexandria, VA
2013
Orange County Center for Contemporary Art; "Compass: Navigating the Journey to Self-Identity" group show; Santa Ana, CA
Linus Gallery; "It's Only Natural" Juried Group Show; Pasadena, CA
Viridian Artists; 24th Annual International Juried Exhibition "Director's Selection"; Juried by Elisabeth Sussman, Curator of the Whitney Museum, NYC; NYC
2012
San Diego Art Institute; Regional show; San Diego, CA
Gallery 533; "The Realist Perspective", Los Angeles, CA
2011
Sylvia White Gallery; Annual Summer Juried Group Show; Ventura, CA
Gallery 793; Juried Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
Katharine Story Boutique; "Erotica" Juried Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
2008
Gallery 680; "Threesome" 3-man Show; San Diego, CA
2002
Poway Center for the Arts; "Impact 2002:Women's Caucus for the Arts"; Poway,CA
101 Artists' Colony; 1st Anniversary Juried Group Show; Encinitas, CA
Encinitas City Hall; 2-man Show; Encinitas, CA
The Art of Dessert; collaboration of restaurants and artists - by invitation;
Encinitas, CA
2000
101 Artists' Colony; 3-man Show; Encinitas, CA
art exhibits
2015
"Open Studio" Art Show at The Artist Odyssey collective studios; Encinitas, CA
2013
Open Arts Collective; "Do Art Daily" group show; San Diego, CA
LCAD Faculty Art Show; Laguna Beach, CA
2012
Arena 1 Gallery; MFA Thesis Show; Santa Monica,CA
Laguna Art Museum; MFA Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
LCAD Campus Gallery; MFA Group Show; Laguna Beach, CA
2011
Arts Alive Banner Artist for DEMA Mainstreet Project; Encinitas, CA
Irvine Fine Arts Center; MFA Faculty + Student Show; Irvine, CA
2010
Artwalk; booth artist; San Deigo, CA
2009
Rhino Art Gallery; District Arts Teacher Show; Encinitas, CA
One World Collective Group Show; Encinitas, CA
2008
ArtnSoul Gallery and Store; Group show; Encinitas, CA
2005-2007
Del Mar Fair Art Exhibitor
2003
Lorenzo de'Medici Group Show; Florence, Italy
2002
Arts Alive Banner Artist for DEMA Mainstreet Project; Encinitas, CA
2000
Encinitas Annual Poinsettia Street Festival; representing 101 Artists' Colony
1999
Lewis + Clark Gallery; BFA Honors Thesis solo art show; Columbia, SC
artist lectures/presentations
2014
San Diego Art Guild; artist lecture and demonstration/instructional fiure workshop
Said Space gallery; solo show and "Artist Series No. 1" figurative drawing workshop and instructional sessions; Encinitas, CA
collections
Preston College - Univ. of South Carolina
Mr. and Mrs. Les Traub - Los Angeles, CA
teaching credential
SB 2042 single subject (middle/high school) in both Studio Art and Biology
TEACHING EXPERIENCE
Laguna College of Art + Design
Fundamentals of Drawing I - adjunct faculty Fall 2012, 2013
Figure Block 2 - Graduate Teaching Assistant Spring 2012
Fundamentals of Drawing I - Graduate Teaching Asst Fall 2011
Canyon Crest Academy 2006 - 2015
High school fine art teacher (beg/adv drawing, sculpture, figure drawing, digital imaging)
Sun Valley Charter High School 2004-2006
High school fine art teacher (drawing,painting, sculpture, art history)
