Rachael Edwards W R I T T E N B Y C O U R T N E Y R OT H B E R G @R A C H A E L E D WA R D S__
When I first started researching Rachael Edwards, I unsuspectingly ended up so far down the rabbit hole I was no longer sure when I entered it. Before I knew it I was years deep in her Instagram feed and bouncing between multiple tabs I’d opened in Google with a furrowed brow firmly plastered on my face and one question rolling around my head, what is THIS? I don’t even know that my brain was comprehending what I was seeing. Is this collage art? Is her work digital? Is that 3D? I held my laptop as close to my face as humanely possible trying to figure it all out. I’m no art aficionado. I know what I like but if you asked me to partake in a conversation about the historical timeline of art movements or periods, my contribution would be zip. zero. nada. The beauty though was that to appreciate her work I didn’t need to have a clue and that’s just the way Rachael likes it, enigmatic but debatable all at the same time. “I create bold, surreal and nostalgic compositions which combine colour, pattern, texture and found imagery. My work explores (wo) mans relationship to science and technology, mysticism and the natural environment. By using repurposed printed imagery from second hand sources my work aims to consume rather than create waste, thereby adding another level of commentary on western societies current condition”, Rachael explains. The waste consumption topic is an interesting conversation. A lot of artists and businesses are trying to minimise their footprint on the Earth but cannot eradicate their waste production entirely so it’s incredibly refreshing to hear Rachael discuss how she’s consuming waste rather than generating it and still making mind blowing works of art in the process. Rachael’s primary artistic focus is hand cut paper collage often using pattern like, symmetrical compositions. She has exhibited in both Manchester and London and recently presented her debut solo show in Melbourne and a collaborative four woman exhibition in 2016. These shows further explored the idea of constructed, ambiguous narratives alongside an exploration of craft techniques and mixed media work.
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