Sandra McRae

In her abstract collage paintings, Australian-American artist Sandra McRae places emphasis on both color and pattern. Within each piece, she combines figurative and abstract forms within an array of contrasting colors, shapes and textures, all designed to elicit a visceral response from the viewer. McRae’s non-figurative works are inspired by a range of sources, including trees that are old and decaying or blowing in the wind, aerial land patterns, and cityscapes. She begins by pasting torn pieces of Washi paper to create a pattern, and from there, paint from a limited palette is layered to create additional texture and depth. By combining traditional techniques of visual balance with unexpected forms, McRae is able to engage the viewer’s perception in unique ways.

A fascinating aspect of McRae’s work is that her forms are malleable, meaning that they shift and transform depending both on the lighting and the viewer’s perspective. This in turn opens up a whole new world for the viewer, where he or she becomes free to imagine any possibility.