Rachel Herring

Natural science has always been a fascination of mine, and my prints integrate this interest with my passion for art. Whether it was at the beach, out hiking, or enjoying my back yard, I have always been the type of person who feels the need to pick things up and take a closer look at them. I find beauty in the natural objects I discover, no matter how mundane they may be. The goal of my prints is to transmit this same amount of interest to the viewer so they can appreciate these objects the way I do.

My prints bring attention to these objects by singling them out and illuminating them on a small scale. The mezzotint in particular as a medium is meditative for me as an artist; the process of rocking a plate and going over the surface with the rocker repeatedly for hours quiets my thoughts and channels my energy onto the plate. It takes so long to prepare the plate for an image, that the plate itself becomes precious and forces me to really examine my subject before creating marks on the plate’s velvet surface. While rendering the form I find myself completely absorbed in the plate again, methodically moving my eye back and forth from the object and the plate’s surface as I burnish to create light. By using the mezzotint I am able to emphasize how detailed and intricate the objects themselves are. The mezzotint forces me to meticulously pay attention to every precise detail in these objects. The role of the dense black with mezzotint is vital in my work, and the way it is viewed. The contrast between the bright lights, delicate tones, and the deep blacks catches the viewers eye from afar, yet the scale forces the viewer to come close and really investigate the object with the same inquisitiveness I would. I apply this same sort of methodology into other printmaking mediums as well, even though the techniques are vastly different in creating the images.

Exhibitions

Upcoming

   “Young and Emerging” Juried Exhibition February 26th—March 30^th,  2013. Gallery Seven, 7 Nason Street, Maynard MA

2012

   “100 Prints Celebrating 100 Years” Art Institute of Boston Centennial Alumni Exhibition, October1^st—November 30^th, Second Floor Atrium of the Massachusetts State Transportation Building, Boston MA

   Senior Exhibition 2012, May 7^th – June 10^th, 700 Beacon Street, Boston MA

   BFA Show April 24-28, University Hall Gallery porter square, Cambridge MA

   Participated in open portfolio at southern graphics council conference in New Orleans, LA (March 2012)

2011        

   “Who Am I” travelling show between Boston, MA; Paris, France; Rotterdam, Holland__2011-2012 (still in progress)

   “Figments” Print Exchange Portfolio between Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University and MassArt

   7^th Arches Student Print Show, Danforth Museum of Art, Framingham, MA

2008-2011

   Various student exhibitions at Art Institute of Boston at Lesley University

Awards

2012

   Boston Printmakers Award: Awarded by the Art Institute of Boston

CONTACT

   raherring17@gmail.com