Plastic Bangles by Rachel Vanderzwet
at Deluge Contemporary Art 
Nov 11 - Dec 10, 2016
​

Rachel Vanderzwet’s studio is filled with with odd and interesting objects: a fold out ice-cream cone, crumpled tin-foil, headliner text, glittering material, high chroma plastic bobbles, wallpaper samples and drawings. This is her visual lexicon - items that spark her impulse to look, admire and engage. With a background in graphic design, she is curious to see how various colours, textures and shapes combine in one artwork. “I have a desire for each piece of the puzzle to be unique," she says, "but harmonize in a composition."

Day Glow Shivers (below left) is a large abstract painting that incorporates strong shapes and vibrant colours. The textured background was inspired by an aluminum hairpiece found in fashion photography. ​“I like the challenge of working with unusual colour combinations,” she says, "playing with pigment to create a visual push and pull within the work." Layers and textures are build up with various brushes and by wiping off and dabbing on.​The artist works on more than one canvas at a time, trying out different techniques and mediums. She builds layers with a mix of acrylic and oils: favoring oils for richness and luminosity and acrylics for glazing, iridescent highlights and spraying. ​

Day Glow Shivers, oil and acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 in, 2016.

Milk Shakes and Sundaes, inkjet print with mixed media, 60 x 40 in, 2016.

The artist holds MFA in Visual Arts from the University of Victoria. She has exhibited in major Canadian cities and shows regularity at the Robert Lynds Gallery in Vancouver. Plastic Bangles features a mix of paintings and inkjet prints. About a year ago, the artist began producing large-scale prints. Her printed collages are constructed of photos scanned into computer software. An inkjet printer boosts the image size to a maximum of 60x44 inches. The artist often draws and paints on the printed surface. Images from the design world of high fashion magazines contribute source material. ​

There is an element of surprise in the enlargement process, Vanderzwet explains. How will the colours and forms be altered in their transition from computer screen to printed surface? Her successful compositions dance with tilting forms, quirky gestures, succulent colours and textural ambiguities. The artist repeats and overlays patterns and shapes, altering the degree of opacity to create the illusion of space.  ​

Chill Out, oil and acrylic on canvas, 23.5 x 21.5 in, 2016.

All Caught Up, oil and acrylic on canvas, 60 x 54 in, 2016.

Chill Out (above left) stands out strongly in neutral tones, using sharp shapes and heavy punctuation marks. Layering different kinds of painting enhances visual interest. The artist works with the paintings, using the push and pull of the images to create balance and a dynamic composition. “Painting for me is all about taking chances,” she says, “not everything works out. It’s important to move forward with a sense of fearlessness.” ​

Smell Ya Later, inkjet print with mixed media, 60 x 44 in, 2016.

Hot Night Out, inkjet print with mixed media, 60 x 44 in, 2016

​The title Smell Ya Later comes from magazine text visible bottom right on the painting. The artist uses both digital and physical editing of cutouts, employing software tools to trace around shapes and manipulate forms. The woodgrain pattern on the gray and black shapes comes from a beaded skirt. The red shapes are pom-pom’s scanned at high resolution; the white starburst pattern is acrylic paint added to the inkjet enlargement. Vanderzwet appreciates the immediacy and approachability of her new medium. Visually, she finds them less precious than a painted surface that has taken her months to complete. “They are easier to break into,” she says, “and my style becomes freer, more experimental.”  ​

Sprinkle Junkie, oil and acrylic on canvas, 72 x 60 in, 2016.

Rachel Vanderzwet, December 2016, Deluge Gallery.

     Rachel Vanderzwet teaches “Conversations in Abstraction” Jan 10-Apr 4 at the Vancouver Island School of Art.
​     For more info visit vancouverislandschoolart.com

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​Web Design, Content and Selected Photos by Kate Cino
 Kate previewed arts events for 18 years at Boulevard magazine. 
She has a History in Art degree and Public Relations certificate from the University of Victoria. ​
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