R A C H E L L E V I T A S

Size: px

Start display at page:

Download "R A C H E L L E V I T A S"

Suzan Morrison
5 years ago
Views:

1 RACHEL LEVITAS

2 RACHEL LEVITAS Still Life Disturbed 14 September 6 October 2013 First published in 2013 by Campden Gallery Ltd High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AG All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means electrical, mechanical or otherwise, without first seeking the permission of the copyright owners and the publishers. All images in this catalogue are protected by copyright and should not be reproduced without permission of the copyright holder. Details of the copyright holder to be obtained from Campden Gallery. Photography: Peter White, FXP Photography. Photography page 9: Seb Pons. Copyright 2013 Campden Gallery Ltd. ISBN: Cover: Urban Fox XVIII 40 x 50 cm oil on panel (detail)

On a dark summer street a fox trots, stops still for a moment, disturbed; then resumes its rapid pace. The colours of the street are chocolate and maroon.

3 Still Life Disturbed Urban foxes are about; these flagrant opportunists slink into streets deserted by bankrupt revellers. Their clandestine visits to my night street are becoming bolder; tonight they are on my doorstep, at the threshold, almost within reach. On a dark summer street a fox trots, stops still for a moment, disturbed; then resumes its rapid pace. The colours of the street are chocolate and maroon. The painting Urban Fox III is rapidly made; wet in wet, recording fleeting night visits. It won the Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize Begun in 2009 the series of paintings under the title Urban Fox has evolved into the recent collection Still Life Disturbed. The foxes represented in these recent paintings, while admired for their boldness and beauty, are nevertheless ambivalent symbols of new and opportunistic forces emerging after an economic crisis in society and a general repositioning of ideas. In the Still Life Disturbed paintings the foxes are dismantling a recognised artistic genre, while referencing the past grand displays of produce featured in still life paintings commissioned by country estates. In the twilight local park of Still Life Disturbed III foxes diligently pick through debris. On discovering an abandoned tableau carefully placed objects are knocked into the air, the jubilee cloth tugged at, picnic apples and oranges scattered and a vase of exhibition dahlias toppled. De-constructivists, the foxes are dismantling our arrangements showing scant regard for any formality. Seemingly playful until that lowered fox glance of utter wildness, the stare checks and reminds us of the rise of other forces, previously suppressed, emerging into disused urban spaces we have left behind. In Sentinel I at the table a lone fox remains; lit mustard yellow against indigo. In the paintings Fox in Snow it is the fox that is disturbed. In snow ahead of us a fox makes its way through the trees, the pale air lit by a distant orange city glow. Wild yet urbanised, for a moment the fox hesitates, disturbed, evaluates the threat which is disregarded, moves on. Painted under a tree in snow the fox is a thin glaze over dots of ice in the air; barely there. Rachel Levitas, 2013 Still Life Disturbed III 30 x 25 cm oil on canvas Still Life Disturbed VI 91 x 122 cm oil on canvas 2 3

4 Still Life Disturbed II 40 x 50 cm oil on panel Urban Fox XVIII 40 x 50 cm oil on panel 4 5

5 Urban Fox IX 50 x 60 cm oil on panel Urban Fox XIII 110 x 75 cm oil on canvas 6 7

6 Fox in Snow V 170 x 110 cm oil on linen 8

7 Fox in Snow II 20 x 30 cm oil on linen Fox in Snow IV 110 x 75 cm oil on linen 10 11

8 Fox with Dahlias IV 122 x 91 cm oil on linen 12 13

9 Fox with Dahlias II 55 x 40 cm oil on panel Fox with Dahlias III 80 x 55 cm oil on panel 14 15

10 Visitor II 30 x 25 cm oil on canvas Sentinel II 60 x 50 cm oil on panel 16 17

11 Still Life Disturbed I 30 x 25 cm oil on panel Empty Table 30 x 25 cm oil on linen 18 19

12 Visitor I 30 x 25 cm oil on panel Sentinel I 40 x 30 cm oil on canvas 20 21

13 Dahlias II 25 x 30 cm oil on linen Fox with Dahlias I 30 x 25 cm oil on linen 22 23

Painting. In 2010 Rachel was awarded first prize at the prestigious Lynn Painter- Stainers for her painting Urban Fox III.

14 RACHEL LEVITAS Rachel Levitas grew up in Durham. She studied Fine Art at Camberwell School of Art, Advanced Printmaking at Central St Martin s and Postgraduate Painting at the Royal Academy Schools where she was awarded the Turner Gold Medal for Painting. In 2010 Rachel was awarded first prize at the prestigious Lynn Painter- Stainers for her painting Urban Fox III. Education Royal Academy Schools, London , Postgraduate Diploma Fine Art Central St Martin s College of Art, Diploma in Advanced Printmaking Camberwell School of Art, BA Fine Art Solo exhibitions 2012 No Format Gallery, Woolwich 2009 Osokool Gallery, Blackheath Half Light, Rebecca Hossack Gallery 1996 The Cut Gallery, Waterloo Still Life Disturbed II 21.5 x 16 cm three-plate colour etching, edition of 50 Still Life Disturbed I 19.5 x 14 cm hand coloured etching, edition of 50 Selected exhibitions 2013 Threadneedle Prize Campden Gallery Royal Academy Summer Show 2012 New English Art Club Maison Bertaux Gallery, Soho 2011 National Open Art Competition Discerning Eye 2010 Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize, first prize winner Discerning Eye Jerwood Drawing Prize National Open Art Competition 2007 New English Art Club 2006 Deptford X The Discerning Eye 2000 Hunting Art Prize 1997 Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 1993 Poetry Library, Royal Festival Hall Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 1991 Bankside Open 1990 The Underground Gallery, Bath Salt House Gallery, St Ives 1987 Fresh Art, Barbican Art Gallery Awards 2010 Lynn Painter-Stainers Prize, first prize winner 1993 Royal Academy Schools Turner Gold Medal for Painting 24

High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AG Tel: 01386 841555 info@campdengallery.

15 High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AG Tel: Open Tuesday to Saturday 10.00am 5.30 pm Sunday 11.00am 4.00pm

D A V I D A T K I N S

D A V I D A T K I N S DAVID ATKINS DAVID ATKINS Weather and Light: On a Journey with Turner First published in November 2014 by Campden Gallery Ltd High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire GL55 6AG www.campdengallery.co.uk