Rachel Burgess
Rachel Burgess
Rachel Burgess grew up in Brookline, Massachusetts. She received a B.A. in Literature from Yale University in 2004, and an M.F.A. in Illustration from the School of Visual Arts in 2007. Her work has appeared in various galleries and on the covers of books and magazines. She currently lives in Manhattan, where divides her time between teaching and printmaking.
Artist Statement
My prints often begin as reactions to the specific surroundings and stories that I remember from childhood. As an illustrator, I draw on images from folk tales and ballads, using printmaking to capture the balance of innovation and tradition inherent in these narratives. As a fine artist, I translate sketches of the New England coastline where I grew up into monotypes aimed at conveying the melancholy beauty of the region. In both cases, my prints evolve from a sense of nostalgia, and rely on details of proportion and light to avoid becoming romanticized or cliché. By editing my scenes down to basic specifics of light and form, I hope to create images that feel “right” and “familiar”– that feel archetypal – whether or not the viewer recognizes their source.
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