Rebecca Rich

Rebecca Rich lives and works in Los Angeles.

Born in New York, she received a BA from Occidental College and an MFA from Claremont Graduate University.

Painting is a place I explore a feminist language of abstraction using materials, composition and texture. My work lives at the intersection of the spirit of the times and the spirit of the depths, polarities identified by Carl Jung.  For me, the spirit of the times comprises the self, the unknown other, identity politics, and art history. The spirit of the depths is where memory, the unconscious, the unknown, and psyche exist. My work sits between these dimensions, intuitively understanding that change is a constant with or without one's involvement or influence. Identity is not constant and the paintings mimic the complexity of the self and of psyche. My work embraces the tension between these opposing forces but is not seeking balance. Through color, I challenge the notion of hierarchy, objectivity, and the rules governing its use. The paintings signify that it is time for the viewer to see with an intuitive eye in addition to prioritizing the intellect and conscious mind. The work serves as the path between. The paintings are sculptural hybrids, created with multiple applications of layered, thickly textured, heavy paint and washes of thinned black gesso as well as glazes. The layers shift in the sun and, as the body moves in space around the work. Rather than representational forms existing within abstraction, the painting itself is the representation. Like sundials, they shift continuously, resting spaces are actively revealed through sequences and forms that come together, splinter or oppose each other. They challenge a center fixed point of view and also a hierarchy of color and space. The work creates a state of flux, a sense of moving forward in time, in motion but perfectly still, acting as a witness for the viewer. 

Instagram: @rebeccarich_studio