Rebecca Rath
Out From Down Under & Beyond: Fine Art From Australia and New Zealand
May 12 - June 1, 2011
Reception:
Thursday May 12, 2011 6-8 PM
Press Release
Rebecca Rath’s large scale charcoal & pastel drawings on paper feature natural landscapes, birds, shells and sacred totems in various states of life and regeneration. Evoking a sense of ‘what lies beneath,’ Rath’s luminous mountain ridges, pastoral skies and golden fields of grain are at once somber and pastoral. In a style reminiscent of Georgia O’Keefe, these compositions of sky and earth speak to cultural and geographical memory. Reconsidering the nature/culture divide, Rath’s approach is informed by Eastern and Aboriginal ideas concerning the holistic unity of all life forms. Painting in a luscious and representational style, Rath often embeds objects imbued with personal narrative into the work. Responding to the sometimes challenging conditions in her region of New South Wales, her work is about the fragile, beautiful and transient cohabitation of humans and animals in local environments.
Rebecca Rath was born 1974 in Sydney, Australia. She has a BFA Honors from the University of New South Wales and currently lives and works in Pokolbin, Hunter Valley, New South Wales.
Artist Statement
I make art because I love it. I love to paint and draw. I also love the natural world, and moving to rural Australia has only increased my connection to and respect for it. My art has been affected by what I have seen here, from the deep red ochres of the drought to the lush greenery that came with the rains. I believe in what I do and want to make a difference through the medium of art. Ideally, I would like my work to highlight the beauty of even the simplest aspects of nature, becoming a tool for the audience to recognise and celebrate the present moment and the natural world around them.
Invitation to the exhibition
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Artists in this exhibition
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