Painting by Rachel Grove 15 Artworks Sold

Calling Assisi (self portrait as a spiritual activist)

Acrylic, Canvas, Ready to hang

76cm (W) x 101.5cm (H) x 4cm (D)

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A$2,220

Arrives 12–14 Aug

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Artwork Description

This is part of an ongoing series on climate change and the damaging ecological effects of human interference within the natural world and its inhabitants.

Herein lies the paradox... self portrait calling the Patron Saint of the environment and animals, St.Francis of Assisi. Coltan is mined for usage in electronics such as mobile phones. This is destroying the habitat for many gorillas. With many animals being on the verge of extinction this proves an ethical dilemma. Herein lies the paradox...I call upon the presence of Assisi for assistance and protection of the natural world and its inhabitants. However, I call on a mobile phone...the very thing that is contributing to this problem.

Artist Bio

My practice involves mainly portraiture. I tend to have different approaches dependent on what I am painting. I enjoy painting portraits both figuratively and formal as well as more expressive. A portrait can end up with thick layers of paint or can be smooth, I let the painting process to take effect. I am constantly developing in this area alternating between more abstraction and more figurative. A portrait to me is more than a mere likeness, but can delve into the many facets of self, cutting to the core of ones existence.Hence my portraits can take on many different forms and guises. I do however also enjoy painting portraits that are less about gestural mark making but more about the subject itself. It is apparent to me however that I keep returning to portraiture as this is one area that challenges me the most. Recently, my interest in climate change has dominated my approach and is a recurrent theme in my work. Often animals and strange creatures appear surrounding the figure. Again, Imagination is key in my work. I don’t get bogged down by replication, for me it is all about allowing the creative process to flow. I have the theme and I simply let it evolve.
I also paint the mundane, a documentary of sorts and when I feel the mood, a landscape.

My previous work focused on the urban landscape. Urban scenes tend to be painted using the formal elements of painting, where I am often drawn to scenes that simply catch my eye in the everyday.

My interest in war and peace and the political arena is explored through the use of stencils, patterns and colour compositions.

Commissions

Rachel's studio is in Melbourne