A wise man once said: ‘Life moves pretty fast. If you don’t stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it.” Ok, it wasn’t a wise man, it was a fictional character, but it’s still sagely advice. In great part, looking at Rachel MacFarlane’s work reminds us to do just that. Look at the details of the things that surround us, the things right in front of us. In a way she finds in painting a perfect medium for critiquing our constant development of artificial spaces. MacFarlane works creating small scale dioramas of objects found lying about or thrown out. By creating a physical composition as a model she can then render it combining, lighting, outlines, shadows, colors, and rich textures, together as an abstract landscape. Some of the graphic elements she uses are direct reproductions of recognizable objects. Shapes seem familiar, echoing notions in our minds, which are suddenly lost to us when dissecting the painted canvas as the viewer can explore an alien landscape. Her vibrant colors help the lines and shades to jump off the wall and are quick to brighten up even the bleakest rooms. Leaving us in wonder at the hypnotic energy that is driving our attention to her work.

For more on Rachel MacFarlane visit her site at: www.rachelmacfarlane.com/About

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