rachael lee : about : artist statement

artist statement

My practice reflects a desire to explore and connect with my local natural surroundings.

I am a mixed media artist and intuitive printmaker using collagraph, linocut and stencil techniques to create layered prints investigating visual perception and the underlying patterns, rhythms and codes found in nature. My work is a direct response to feelings of connection with the positive experience of nature-based environments and the unseen forces that create this attraction.

While exploring the landscape, I’m searching for its essence and I feel compelled to document it by taking many photos which I use as reference back in the studio. I’m intrigued by the small detail of things and often take a closer look under a microscope.

I work in series by making several printing plates, each one concentrates on only one aspect of the subject. By breaking down this information and re-constructing it in different combinations through layers of print, my landscapes go beyond a literal depiction. I ponder on those unseen forces that attract, like a magnet, connecting you to seen and unseen rhythms of nature.