Rachel Clancy
As a Manchester-based, figurative painter, my interests surround ideas of artifice, trickery and illusion. Addressing themes of trickery contextually through the assembling of cropped, mysterious compositions, I am interested technically in how the act of painting mimics the deceptive nature of a magic trick. This is explored through a slow, meticulous act of painting, where each layer is slightly hidden by the one above, hiding and revealing clues within the paintings. The layering of thin glazes acts as an illusion, creating depth and luminosity on a two-dimensional plane to deceive the viewer. The compositions I am drawn to are usually obscure, slightly uncanny viewpoints, which are less representative of real-world settings, and more reflective of film stills, or reveries.The considered handling of varying surfaces aims to create tension within the slightly imposing, tight spaces and creates a tactile element within the paintings.
A strong interest in 16th Century Dutch still life influences my paintings due to the articulation of light and shadow, and the consideration to depicting life-like surfaces using a range of different techniques and mediums. Surrounded by a fast-paced, digitally influenced society, I am passionate about the importance of looking and gestating in contemporary painting. This is reflected in the slow, intricate act of painting, encouraging the viewer to pause and contemplate when encountering the works. The paintings encourage a psychological encounter as the spaces hold the ghostly presence of a figure and evoke memory through recognisable elements, whilst in turn encouraging the viewer to ‘fill in’ the space beyond the frame through their own experiences.