Bio
Rachel Strauch is an artist based in Spokane, Washington. Her work uses nature, the human body, and intense complimentary colors to depict themes of mental health, growth, and vulnerability. Strauch enjoys observing the world around her, taking experiences from her own life and others and turning them into art. Like observing, she enjoys teaching art, and worked as a teacher's assistant in a drawing class at Whitworth University in January 2022.
Strauch has recently exhibited her work at the Bryan Oliver Gallery and Cowles Auditorium at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington, and at Nanzan University in Nagoya, Japan.
Artist Statement
Art is a means of laying myself bare. It’s a way to ask myself questions I often avoid. It’s a way to reflect on why things work and why things don’t. It’s a way to be honest with myself and those around me. It’s a way to be vulnerable.
I use oil paint because of the natural glow the medium has, and because the lengthy drying process forces me to slow down and reflect. I am drawn most towards intense contrast in my work. I often play with the balance between warms and cools, flatness and three dimensional forms, and vibrant complimentary colors. The content of my work often revolves around contrast as well, whether it’s between humanity and nature, growth and decay, or mental health and the naked body. However, my ultimate goal in art is to create a sense of vulnerability.
The nude form is vulnerable. By stripping away the clothes and any barriers or pretences, there’s a raw sense of truth that I often run away from. There’s nowhere to hide imperfections, and that’s beautiful.