Rachel Wright
Bio
Rachel Wright received her B.F.A. degree from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 1991, and her M.F.A. in glass from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale in 1997. In 1999, she moved to Mobile when her husband Tony was offered a position at the University of South Alabama. Eventually, Rachel found her way into the art department and is now an adjunct instructor there.
Rachel has exhibited frequently in Chicago, New Orleans, Mobile, Pensacola, and Panama City, FL. Her work is primarily sculptural, mixing media such as glass, clay, iron, wood, wax, fabric, and photographs. She has curated shows for Art off Centre and Space 301 in Mobile, and is currently writing a book on cutting-edge appliqué, scheduled for publication in 2010.
Artist Statement
Everybody's got a body, but few of us take the time to contemplate what is beneath the surface of our skin. For centuries, physicians and artists have attempted to make sense of the complexities hidden inside. Early anatomical illustrations are often a mixture of correct and incorrect assumptions. Some artists rely on metaphor rather than verisimilitude.
The Dream Anatomy series explore these imagined realms inside the body. Because these garments are meant to be worn, the boundary between the internal and the external is blurred. The invisible is made visible: wear your inside on the outside. By using women's slips and nighties, articles that were not originally intended for public life, I am playing with the line between the public and the private arenas.
Most of the garments and fabrics I use come from thrift stores and garage sales. If you look carefully, you will find stains and worn areas: vestiges of a previous life. I am fascinated by the emotional patina that accompanies cast-offs. I choose to recycle worn garments because our bodies also bear the marks of our daily lives, both externally and internally.
