Rachael Bos

Electric Heart, oil on linen, 4"x4", 2020

"My most recent work functions as a formal and conceptual investigation into the limits of painting and the mediation of images and objects through the use of trompe l’oeil. Trompe l’oeil operates as a deception in which the painting pretends to inhabit the real. By using a lifelike scale and a higher degree of representation, my paintings aim to fool the viewer into believing they are real objects, even if for just a second. What I am most interested in, however, is creating work that embodies an experience that sits between being deceived and enlightened. This moment of passage leads the viewer to a self-consciousness about their perception, as well as a pleasure in discovering their mistake. Because the notion of deception put forth in my work is guaranteed to be overcome, the viewer is never actually deceived nor do they ever achieve enlightenment. A self-consciousness about perception and consequently reality has extreme relevance in the digital age, and I believe a manual means of investigation is crucial in allowing for an intimacy between the work and the viewer that extends beyond optics. I create seemingly loaded images in hopes of equalizing form and subject. That is to say that I do not want the painting’s meaning to be reduced to a simple two-step whereby a subject’s potential to deceive is short lived by formal decisions; a desire to balance a contrived visual experience with a more subjective one. While still directed by said loaded tropes, the work seeks to leave room for maneuvering in one's experience of it."

—— Rachael Bos

AS: Can you talk a little about yourself?

RB: I am from Salt Lake City, Utah and I have a background in still life and portraiture. Utah is pretty conservative artistically, so the only real exposure I had to painting was extremely representational work.

Bandana 1, oil on linen, 12" x 12",2020

AS: Can you tell us about your work?

RB: I used the style and tropes of trompe l’oeil as a starting point for my work from the past couple of months. Lately, I have been working on a series of 12x12” oil paintings of bandanas that are loosely based off of designs from the 70s, but I am currently expanding my source material. The centers of the paintings that have the bulk of designs are flat with moments of impasto. The edges of the bandana are painted more realistically, with the wrinkles and puckering of fabric, and are situated in the trompe l’oeil fashion of having a clear mode of suspension and accuracy in size. At the moment I am very interested in having a flat, geometric center, and situating it within the physics of the natural world through realism and painted depth.

Bandana 2, oil on linen, 12"x12", 2020

AS: What artists are you currently looking at or inspired by?

RB: I am currently looking at a lot of designs on bandanas and other fabrics that have a strictly aesthetic function. I am also taking elements of Pop art into consideration with this current series. One of my favorite artists at the moment is Peter Schuyff, and have been drawing a lot of inspiration from his painting’s relationships between design and realism.

AS: Are there any art world trends you are currently following?

RB: Trompe l’oeil has been a recent trend in the art world, and it is very exciting seeing how other artists are interpreting it, both in painting and sculpture.

Bandana 3, oil on linen, 12"x12", 2020

AS: In an interdisciplinary program like SAIC, how did you land on painting? Was it always your love or did you find a passion for it at SAIC?

RB: When I came to SAIC, I had really only worked on realistic oil paintings, and I was very eager to experiment with different materials and styles. I tried everything from video art to ceramics, and while I loved working in these mediums I always sort of viewed them through the lense of painting, and always kept returning to painting. However, other materials and mediums have informed my practice within painting.

Bandana 4, graphite on paper, 8"x 8", 2020

AS: How has the transition to a home studio affected your practice?

RB: I consider myself to be very fortunate that I have an area to work in and that I have kept up my stamina with painting through the transition to a home studio. While sometimes working at home makes it a bit harder to focus, there is an accessibility it allows me that has resulted in much more paintings than I would have done were I in the school studios.

AS: Have you been able to maintain a fruitful practice in a new innovative way?

RB: I knew that if I wasn’t painting every day and didn’t start as soon as my studio was set up, I would have a very hard time making work in isolation. To maintain my practice, I have been painting or drawing every day. I have been able to produce more work than I usually would have because I can set my own hours, so now I can work very late at

night.

Bandana 5, oil on linen, 8"x 8", 2020

AS: How long have you been in Advanced Painting? And, what has been your favorite part of being in Advanced Painting?

RB: This is my first semester in Advanced Painting. My favorite part of being in Advanced Painting has been having a consistent workspace to use, which allows me to work from life for longer amounts of time. I also like having much more time dedicated to work, and having a group of peers that have genuine talent and a love for painting.

A Whispered Remark Changed a Girl's Life, oil on linen, 12"x12", 2020

AS: Has your work changed a lot through your time in Advanced Painting?

RB: Through my time in Advanced Painting, I am still working with the same ideas and styles that I was interested before I started. However, having access to a consistent studio and having the support of professors has led to me working mostly from life and working on a series.