Rachel Burgess

Rachel Burgess grew up in 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.  She currently lives in Manhattan, where she divides her time between painting and printmaking. 

Her work appears in galleries throughout the New York area, including the International Print Center of New York in Manhattan, the Edward Hopper House and Museum in Nyack, and the Monmouth Museum in New Jersey.  Ms. Burgess has had solo exhibits in New York and in Maine; she has also exhibited overseas at the Pyramida Center for Contemporary Art in Israel.   She is the recipient of several awards.

Her prints have been recognized by publications such as CMYK Magazine, 3×3 Magazine of Contemporary Illustration, the Society of Illustrators, and the New York Society of Etchers.  Her illustrations are part of the publication collection at the Whitney Museum of Art.

“My prints 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 cliche.  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.”

website: www.rachel-burgess.com

Some images are cropped; click on the thumbnail for the full image.