RACHEL ROBISON
MIXING MEDIA &
MAKING MEANING
Using collage techniques, I create compositions of personal reflection and political statement. In these cause-based and thematic works, I strive to communicate a central idea through the synthesis of disparate mediums and pieces.
Paper Dolls
Watercolor & paper collage, 2015
Flimsy, fragile, feminine?
Delicate and dainty, shunted aside.
Pushed to the margins,
Obscured by lumbering partners.
Framed, focused, forceful.
Emotion and experience for all to see.
Brought to the forefront
In a solo celebration.
Marginalized
Individualized
Printed in color.
While flipping through magazines looking for collage materials, I noticed a pattern in how men and women are depicted: women were always obscured or partnered, rarely did they stand alone. In this series, Paper Dolls, I aim to correct this pattern by giving each newsprint woman the space they deserve.
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Inhale, Exhale
Collaged x-ray film & vellum paper, 2015
Powerful air. Day in, day out, it feeds the freshness of life. But life is a fragile flame, easily disrupted and easily deprived. The consuming blaze feasts on air as well as the living spark. Water, wind, fire, flames, smoke. Undulating and unbroken, boundaries burn and our lungs are filled. Inhale exhale. Inhale exhale. Inhale.
This piece reflects upon the bombings of Nagasaki and Hiroshima during WWII, focusing on the effects the bombs had on the bodies of the inhabitants. The piece is composed of collaged cutouts from old-fashioned xray film and vellum paper.
FORM & COLOR
In this group of oil paintings, I explore the freeing power of vibrancy and abstraction. The result is an aesthetic of expressive movement.
