Profiles of Contemporary Art and - ARTisSpectrum

Rebecca Rath
Rebecca in her Studio
Winter Rain over the Brokenback Mountains
Oil on Canvas 48” x 36”
Tall, sun-kissed ochre grasses sway
gently in the breeze under cool azure
skies, as a bird flits from its hidden nest
while a monarch appears from within
its chrysalis. This rich grassland is alive
with layers of interacting organisms,
a veritable Eden for flora and fauna
alike. The award-winning Australian
artist Rebecca Rath constructs this
rich environment with oil, charcoal, and
pastel on paper or canvas.
Her approach remains the same, a
fantastic format that lowers our vantage
point to ground level in order to convey
the stratum of life that may often pass
us by. Beginning with rich earth tones at
the foot of the picture plane, we find a
myriad of life forms: crustaceans, birds,
butterflies, empty shells, and cicadas.
The next layer features flowing pastures
and open grasslands depicted in a
manner that suggests timeless motion,
endurance, and renewal.
Rath expertly captures the vibrant
hues that result from diverse lighting
conditions as the fiery sun or wistful
moon passes overhead. The sky forms
the final layer, topping off the scenery
Winter Grass in Wine
Country
Oil on Canvas
48” x 36”
with intense variations of blue,
from early morning to high noon
to nighttime. Interestingly, the
only evidence of humanity is
the frail looking power lines that
reach just above the horizon.
This infuses the notion that
the protagonist in Rath’s world
is nature itself, a complex and
expressive system of life. “I
would like my work to be a
catalyst for the audience to
recognize and appreciate the
simple aspects of nature,” she
explains. “There is a web that
unites all living things on Earth
and we are all indisputably
connected.” Grass is not a mere
plant but a wispy articulation of the wind.
The soil acts as a fertile womb. The skies
are simultaneously all-encompassing
and infinite. Rath has created a true
visionary interface for our imagination
and our sublime natural world.
Rebecca Rath’s work has been
published on numerous occasions and
exhibited throughout Australia and in the
United States. She has a BFA Honors
from the University of New South Wales
and lives and works in pastoral Pokolbin,
Hunter Valley in New South Wales.
www.rebeccarath.moonfruit.com
www.Agora-Gallery.com/ArtistPage/
Rebecca_Rath.aspx
14 ARTisSpectrum