Kinkade/Motherwell | Collage | 9" x 4" | 2014

Artist Statement: I have equal parts admiration and resentment toward the lasting power of my painting predecessors. I (ashamedly) admit that I long to fit into the canon. I want the approval of the general public. I want to live on indefinitely in public and private collections. But I resent the seemingly fixed narrative of painting’s history. There seems to be a single lens through which all painting is evaluated. The same paintings get featured, shown, printed, and reproduced ad nauseam. Significant works are now little more than commercial bull. These collages are a subtle finger to the painters and institutions before me, a playful rearranging of history, and a homage to great painting no matter the era or collection.

Rachel grew up in a suburb outside of Kansas City, Missouri. She ventured north to pursue a BFA with a painting focus and a BA in philosophy from St. Ambrose University, both of which she completed in 2009. In 2013, Rachel completed her MFA at the University of Minnesota with a minor in art history. Rachel’s practice is primarily concerned with perception as a means of orienting oneself, and the manifestation of these perceptual habits in the institution of painting.