Rachel Hellmann
Region: Midwest
I come from a family of carpenters. My early education as an
artist taught me the care of craft, love of tools, and pride in
working with my hands. This history led to my interest in creating
paintings that function as objects and that occupy space in a
physical way.
My work explores how perception is affected by the interplay
of geometry, light, and color. Influenced by folded art forms
such as kites, paper airplanes, and origami, I paint on shaped
forms to instill a sense of play and to suggest the experience
of an interior architectural space. I construct my paintings by
gluing, sanding, and joining poplar boards. I then piece together
the segments and paint them with bands and flat shapes of
color. The geometric language and linear repetitions in the
painting echo the methodical and laborious process I use to
create it. The sculptural form, combined with both subtle and
vibrant color, creates a vibration between the logical and the
unexpected.