Author: Ashley Mulvihill / Category Original Artworks / Published: Apr-07-2020
Ninth Editions Journal
In the studio w/
Rachel Crummey
I first discovered Rachel's work on Instagram and was immediately taken by the meditative quality of her art. The way she applies pen to paper/paint to canvas is fluid and intuitive. Her larger works have a kind of patchwork quality as if each square represents a specific thought or feeling she's unraveling, with her smaller works on paper showing how she begins that process.
A few months back, I visited her at her sunlit studio to talk about how she approaches her work, her Zen practice, and the importance of looking at art in the real world before buying online.
"Drawing is like breathing, painting is like
using the breath to fuel movement."
Art Institution: The Met in NYC.
Season: I can't pick a single season but I love that I live in a place with dramatic changes from season to season. Even if winter sucks sometimes.
Meal: Breakfast. I never skip it.
City/Place: I spent some formative years in my twenties in Montreal, so that place will always be dear; and my teenage summers in Northern Ontario (Temagami); that will always be one of the most beautiful places in the world for me.
"Spending time quietly observing my mind and body has been really humbling."
Tell us about your process?
I never know where to start with this question so I'll provide an anecdote instead. I bought a connect the dots puzzle book last year to bring to a cottage. The dots are supposed to turn into images, like hands chopping vegetables, a ferris wheel, a bunny rabbit, it's a whole random assortment. Each one is titled with a cheesy pun. Instead of following the numbered scheme I intuitively connected the dots in my own way so they became abstract webs, as if the thing had been haphazardly wrapped in thread. It was a very stoner thing to do though I was sober at the time. I think this has something to say about how my brain works.
What's the relationship between your drawing and painting practice?
Drawing is like breathing, painting is like using the breath to fuel movement. Drawing is sufficient in and of itself, but painting adds exciting possibilities.
Everything begins with drawing. The momentum from that activity becomes fodder for painting ideas. There's a lot of sitting around staring into space and then bursts of quick activity once an idea presents itself.
I've been lucky to trade with a few artist friends, so that's how my collection began. Recently I took the plunge and purchased a couple of things for the first time. I bought a drawing by Anton Cetin from Peter Estey Fine Art, and I bought a ceramic piece that Julie Moon made for this year's Edition (the artist book/multiples fair that accompanies Art Toronto).
Rachel's tip for art collecting:
Go with your gut. And if your gut isn't speaking to you, try and get to know it. This involves some self-education, especially looking at art in person, not just online; and reading about it, listening to artists. Most of all paying attention to what resonates and what doesn't.
Thank you for joining us! You can find available work by Rachel here.
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