Rachel Foullon's sculptures constructed from cedar boards and hand-dyed canvas reference a former agrarian existence based on utilitarian need that has long been subsumed by modern progress. At the core of her work lies the promise of a new brand of independent living wrested out of moments of struggle and freedom inherent in the artist’s studio practice. Foullon’s materials are wrought with care: wood is custom-milled and meticulously stained; fabrics are hand-dyed and hand-sewn. Recent work draws inspiration from the hallenhaus, the first barns in North America where living quarters for humans, livestock, and work animals were combined under one roof that also housed tools and food storage. At once visceral and beautiful, Foullon’s sculptures are unsentimental distillations of both the spaces and objects connected with these historical models.
Press Release
Preview Catalogue
Catalogue
Rachel Foullon: Braided Sun
2012, softcover, 52 pages, 8 x 10 3/16 inches , 28 color and 3 b&w images. Foreword by Janet Riker, essays by Todd Alden and Elizabeth A. T. Smith.
ISBN: 9780910763455
Price: $18.00
The museum is grateful to the following for their support of the exhibition, catalogue, and programs: University at Albany Office of the President, the Office of the Provost, The University at Albany Foundation, University Auxiliary Services, and the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. Additional funding for the Rachel Foullon: Braided Sun catalogue was provided by a grant from the Elizabeth Firestone Graham Foundation. Funding for new works in the exhibition was provided by the Foundation for Contemporary Arts.