ABOUT
A Statement
Abstract Engagements: A Response to the Media Age
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As a classically trained oil painter, I attempt to push the boundaries of the medium by incorporating glass marbles that I grind into dust in my paint. This unique texture, with its interplay of matte and gloss, reflects the fragmented nature of information in our media-saturated world. Inspired by Abstract Impressionism and the gestural energy of early impressionist painters, I use a series of palette knives and marking devices to echo the frenetic pace of modern life.
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My true inspiration, however, lies in the ideas of Marshall McLuhan. Just as McLuhan explored the way media shapes society, I believe art has the power to not just deliver messages, but to be a message itself. Frustrated by the superficiality of modern engagement, I strive to create paintings that demand a deeper look, a more profound interaction. My paintings become invitations to slow down, to explore textures and depths, a nod to the engagement I crave in our hyper-connected world and miss (and sometimes mock) in it's superficiality.
About
Rachel Romanowsky is an American and British artist who recently returned to the U.S. after living in Zurich, Switzerland. Classically trained in oil painting, she incorporates crushed marble and found materials into her work, creating intricate textures that invite exploration. Influenced by Abstract Impressionism and early Impressionist gestural energy, her paintings engage with process, interactivity, and the nature of connection. Inspired by Marshall McLuhan’s ideas on media, she challenges passive engagement, encouraging viewers to experience art as a message in itself. Her large-scale oil paintings are held in private collections across the U.S., England, and Europe.