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Light Attraction

    an investigative photo documentary

Exclusive 20-page photo essay from our investigative journalist team in collaboration with award-winning photojournalist Polina Yamshchikov. Location: Brooklyn, United States Copyright Wondereur 2023.

MEET with artist Rachael Wren curated by respected New York-based art critic Jill Conner.

Wren cover
1
“HAVE YOU EVER NOTICED HOW YOUR BODY, YOUR BREATHING SLOW DOWN IN NATURE?”
2
“That’s very different from being in the city.”
3
“I grew up in New York, but lived in Seattle for three years. Being so close to nature and nature being so big out there, that was different for me.”
4
“When I was first there, there was definitely a sense of disorientation or not terribly connecting with the place. So I set out to go to this park that had a ravine with trees growing up out of it.”
5
“I STOOD IN THE MIDDLE OF THIS PATH WITH TREES COMING UP AND GOING DOWN — JUST THIS TANGLE OF TRUNKS AND BRANCHES.”
6
“It just made sense to be there, amongst the weather and atmosphere and the thick kind of space that you have in Washington State. And I think that feeling is still with me.”
7
“I WASN’T INITIALLY INTERESTED IN PAINTING TREES, BUT MORE THE STRUCTURE OF VERTICALS IN SPACE.”
8
“I studied with painter Jake Berthot in Italy. He had a very particular and beautiful way of talking about painting that I’ll always remember – the pacing and rhythm that you can get in a painting.”
9
10
“I PAINTED OUTSIDE IN THE SAME PLACE PRACTICALLY EVERY DAY FOR TWO YEARS.”
11
“It was definitely challenging, especially in the winter. But you just bundle up and put on a lot of layers. The rain was more of an issue, although it’s usually more like a light drizzle. So I actually duct-taped this big umbrella to my easel just so I could paint outside in the rain.”
12
“I don’t paint outside anymore.”
13
“When I look back on it, I can’t believe I did that. But it was exactly what I needed to do at the time.”
14
15
“Now I work more from memory. I do look at things a lot. I never really know what’s going to spark a painting.”
16
“EVEN THE WAY AN EDGE OF A BUILDING LOOKS AGAINST THE SKY COULD SPARK A COLOUR COMBINATION.”
17
“I want to evoke that feeling of being in a place. It’s something that you can’t really touch or pin down.”
18
“I was thinking about painting this atmosphere and tried different things. And somehow, out of that, arose the idea of making each mark have a really distinct edge, but layering them so the interaction between them would feel fuzzy.”
19
“I WANT TO CREATE THAT SENSE OF AIR, OF ALL THESE PARTICLES THAT VIBRATE AND SHIMMER.”