Atomic Color Waves, 2023

Rachel Strum  

Rachel Strum is an abstract artist currently based in Dallas, Texas. Working with various mediums ranging from acrylic paint, aerosol paint, and poured resin she builds layered images that consider and explore the constructs of time and space. Luminous color enmeshed by patterning and stratified glittering surfaces oscillates between flat planes of geometric shapes and deep spatial expanses.

"My work gives form to curiosities and observations on consciousness and our connections to nature and beyond. Visually investigating the relationship of abstract and representational, elusive vs. tangible, and the realms that exist in between, I build imagined landscapes inspired by sci-fi monuments and natural phenomena. I am focused on duality and the tension that resides between the inner and the outer, the raw & the cooked, the living and the decayed. Working with multiple mediums allows me to build layered scenes that sway back and forth between representative and abstract. The literal depth achieved with poured resin is meant to complement the illusionistic depth within the imagery, reinforcing the blurred line between fact and fiction.

Using digital renderings as the foundation of my practice, I then translate designs onto the canvas surface with traditional painting techniques and mediums. Through my use of bold colors, the convergence of multiple mediums and repeated patterns, I find content by building and subtracting layers of visual information. The created worlds often reuse nebulous shapes and forms —What they represent is explicitly elusive, yet reminiscent and familiar all at once. My intentions are not to convey a specific message but to elicit feelings with an emphasis on the individual viewer's own connotations."